All's Fair in Love and Madness
by LeiCiel
Summary: Losing one's family at a young age can and will have a profound effect on one's mind and growth. Being there to witness their final moments can have an even more profound effect. "Perhaps I am mad. And perhaps…" There was a brief pause as Zero gently pulled his hands forward, taking the mask with it. "… madness truly does run in the family. That's what you said, right, brother?"
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** **This is a work of fan fiction using characters and/or scenes from the anime/manga Code Geass. I do not, in anyway, claim ownership over the characters, the world, the story, or any other aspect of it. This story should not be, in any way, considered canon. This story is written strictly for entertainment and not for profit.**

 **Warning:** **This story will exhibit 'out of character' behavior on various levels. If you don't like seeing your favorite characters act differently, then perhaps this story is not for you. I ask that you give it a chance but consider yourselves warned.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **September 16, 2009 A.T.B.**

"I thought I'd come tell you that mother and Nunnally are dead."

At that very moment, Charles zi Britannia, 98th Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia, asked himself a very important question. What was it about his son, Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and 17th in the line of succession, that had shocked him the most at that very moment?

Was it perhaps the utter lack of respect? The way his son has ignored all manner of proper court decorum? The boy hadn't even bothered to kneel or greet him after his presence was announced. He had just approached him and spoken so directly, so casually, as though he were speaking to an acquaintance or even a subordinate, not even waiting to be addressed and allowed to speak first. As it was, the only thing he had done right was that he had stopped at a proper distance from the throne. That, and he had worn clothing denoting him as a prince of the empire.

Was it the words he said? The death of Marianne vi Britannia, was not news to him. But Nunnally's? This was the first he was hearing of it. Moreover, it shouldn't have been possible. He had been the first and only person outside the hospital to know that she was allowed visitors two nights ago. He had then visited her late that night, well after visiting hours, to determine what she knew of his wife's death. Everyone else was only informed early yesterday morning. Well after his own, 'non-existent' visit.

Unless she had been killed in a way that left people thinking she was still alive up until very recently then he would have been informed the moment someone discovered her death. And as an imperial princess, news like that should have reached him mere minutes after discovery, if not seconds, lest they risk his ire.

Or was it the smile that was completely out of place on the boy's face? By all appearances, the smile was a pleasant one. The kind shown to not only friends and family, but even to strangers if one were the sort of person to do so. But to see it on Lelouch's face? After the death of his mother and, supposedly, his sister less than a week ago? The two people that he, undoubtedly, loved and cherished the most? No, the boy should not have been smiling. Not like that and not at this very moment.

But no, while all three aforementioned facts shocked him, none of them were truly what bothered him.

The lack of respect could be explained by the loss of his loved ones. Nunnally's death, while unexpected, could very well be possible, even if improbable. The smile could have been a front, a way to not show weakness. It was overly done, but Charles supposed it was better than having him come to court a weeping wreck.

No. It wasn't any of that.

It was the sheer sincerity in his tone as he spoke that truly shocked him. That, and the lack of any other emotion.

There wasn't a single hint of grief in the boy's voice. No sadness hidden beneath a strong exterior, no anger waiting to be unleashed, not even fear at the possibility of being the next target.

It was either his son had learned to mask his emotions so perfectly, asides from the overly done smile, that even _he_ could not see through it. Or he had…

"Oh?" he voiced out, loud enough for the entire population of the throne room to hear as he played the part of the disinterested monarch. "Your mother's death is old news. Your sister's, however, is not. Pray tell, how is it that you know of that while I do not? Do you claim to know better than I? Or perhaps those caring for her have lied about her status?"

"Oh?" echoed Lelouch, though his tone was more surprised than anything else. "So she's still alive?" Again, the most disturbing part was the honesty in his tone and his eyes. He truly had believed her to be among the departed. "Well, in that case, it won't be long before she's dead."

Murmurs spread throughout the room as the nobility and royalty in the room quietly conversed, no doubt speculating what his son meant by his words. He didn't need to hear their words to know what they were thinking. Some probably thought that her condition was that serious, that her health was slowly failing. Others, the more ruthless of the bunch, would assume that Lelouch intended to kill her himself, either out of mercy or for personal reasons.

His eyes locked onto a handful of people off to the side. They were the select few who, like him, would realize that something was very wrong. And if they could see the boy's eyes, they would quickly discover what it was that he had seen.

But more than the sincerity that was already present, what bothered Charles so much was the lack of hope in Lelouch's eyes and demeanor. For a boy who loved his family very dearly, the news that his sister was actually alive should have been like the first scrap of food or even a mouthful of water being given to a man who had been lost in the desert, just barely clinging on to life. It should have revitalized him, given him hope that his fortune was changing for the better.

Instead, Lelouch seems to have accepted that his sister was soon to depart from the world of the living. Seemed to be expecting it even.

The question, was why?

"And why is that?" There was no point in avoiding the obvious question. "Is she suffering some malady that only you are aware of? Or do you, again, believe that those caring for her are incompetents that cannot even properly differentiate healthy from the dying?"

"Well," began Lelouch, his tone still casual and conversational, completely unfit for the setting. "When I saw mother that night she was bleeding from many places. She couldn't open her eyes and her voice was tired and weak. After she went quiet, she didn't open her eyes or talk anymore."

"I did not ask about your mother, boy," he demanded sternly, a little surprised that he didn't even flinch in response. "What relevance does this have with your sister's death?"

"Everything of course." Charles could see many of the nobles staring at Lelouch as though he had gone insane. With the way he was behaving, Charles might have even agreed to some extent. "When I visited Nunnally yesterday, she was the same. She couldn't open her eyes even though she wanted to, and she was very tired and fell asleep almost as soon as she woke up."

Had Charles been someone else at that moment – perhaps a commoner – he would have marched up to Lelouch and struck his son up-side the head. Even the nobles seemed to have changed their opinions from 'insane' to 'imbecilic'.

Lelouch carried on with his explanation, blissfully ignorant of how his words were constantly affecting the perceptions of the people around him. "The doctor was making some sort of excuse about why Nunnally couldn't open her eyes. It was stupid of him though. Maybe he thought that he was being kind to me by trying to give me false hope about Nunnally's survival, but I've already seen mother die. Giving me false hope like that was more cruel than kind. Do you think we could-"

"Enough." He did not yell nor did he raise his voice, but the natural volume of his voice along with the way the throne room was designed allowed his words to carry across the entire room. And it was more than enough to put an end to Lelouch's ramblings. "It seems to me that your mother's death has cost you more than you realize. As you are, you are useless to me. Nothing more than a pawn to be disposed of."

He could hear the gasps of surprise from some people in the room, one or two from where the other princes and princesses were standing. And why wouldn't they be surprised? He had all but sentenced Lelouch, one of the imperial princes and his own son, to death in a tone that most people used when talking about inconsequential things.

"But even pawns have their uses," he added, noting that the smile did not fade at all from Lelouch's face, nor did he react to the words. "In three days' time you and your sister will be sent to Japan along with a peace delegation. There, perhaps you will be of some use to me."

"Japan?" The smile faded just a hint, replaced by curiosity. "Isn't that the country of barbarians who eat with sticks and slit open their own bellies?"

' _At least his mind hasn't taken_ complete _leave of him,'_ Charles couldn't help but think. Crude as it may have been, Lelouch's words showed that he still possessed some manner of clarity of thought. Though he had to wonder how long it would last. "Begone now."

"Understood, Your Majesty." Shockingly, Lelouch began following proper decorum, his face becoming impassive in expression and his posture erect. He gave the proper bow at the proper height, held it for the proper amount of time before rising. He turned on his heels and marched towards the door with his head held high like the prince that he was. Nothing at all like the boy who had come in earlier.

Just when he was about to exit, he paused and turned around, looking directly at the Emperor with that same, pleasant smile on his face. "By the way," he called out in a loud voice. "Do you want me to bring back any souvenirs, old man?"

Never before had the nobility in the room seen such blatant disrespect for their monarch by one of his own sons.

Similarly, never before had Charles been more tempted than that moment to pick up his throne and hurl it at someone, namely the aforementioned son.

* * *

 **September 19, 2009 A.T.B.**

"It's about time we managed to meet. I was beginning to wonder if I had to make another call to your private line."

Charles gave a sigh at the words of his guest, setting down the pen he was using to sign documents.

"I may be the Emperor, but I would rather not have to deal with rumors as to why I am meeting with you as you are now."

The 'you' he was referring to was a plain-faced young woman in her mid-twenties wearing a casual business suit. Given her occupation as a housekeeper, that was probably one of the most expensive pieces of clothing she owned. Even then, most people would be exceedingly worried about meeting the Emperor himself in such clothing.

But the woman before him was calm, grinning playfully even, despite this. Her braided blonde hair, draped over her left shoulder, shone like a river of gold as the twilight sun shone down upon it through the open window. Slim fingers idly toyed with the braid as though she were sitting at a café with a friend, not in the Emperor's personal study.

The woman gave a distinctly unladylike snort, accompanied by a teasing grin on her lips. "This coming from the man who has ninety-four consorts? Or is it up to ninety-six now? I seem to recall seeing the Mormont twins sharing your bed not too long ago."

Had anyone else been in that room at that moment, they would have been treated to the sight of the Emperor sighing in exasperation. A common enough sight when in the right company, but a rare one otherwise. And unfortunately for Charles zi Britannia, the 'housekeeper' sitting before him was one such person who was privileged enough to see that side of him. Or rather, 'she' was the reason why it had become a common sight while in the company of those closest to him.

"My dear," he groaned, fingers gently rubbing his temples to pre-empt the coming headache. "You know that-"

The door to his office opened without warning, cutting off whatever Charles was about to say. Instead, he took a deep breath, ready to upbraid whoever it was who dared to enter without so much as a knock or a verbal warning, only to see one of the handful of people he truly trusted.

"Bismarck," he said in a calmer tone of voice than he had planned on using. Calm, but still upset. "I trust this is important enough that you would enter without warning."

Bismarck Waldstein, member of the Knights of the Round bearing the title of Knight of One, a middle-aged man with dark, shoulder-length hair and a trimmed goatee. The Knight shut the door behind him and gave a shallow but respectful bow to the Emperor. His visible right eye, the left sewn shut, glanced at the housekeeper sitting in front of the desk and, upon meeting the gaze of her red-rimmed brown eyes, gave a respectful nod before turning back to his liege.

"I just received word from Japan. The peace delegation has landed and met with their Japanese escorts."

The Emperor frowned. _This_ was why his most trusted Knight entered without warning? "I hardly see why y-"

"Without the prince."

The Emperor's mouth snapped shut just as his eyes widened just a fraction, a mix of anger and confusion flashing through his violet eyes. The woman's reaction was much more vocal. "WHAT?! What do you mean?!"

"It is as I said, milady," responded Bismarck. Thankfully, nobody else was present to witness the empire's 'Strongest Knight' address a mere housekeeper with such deep respect. Then again, those who would question his actions were those who were unaware of the woman's identity. "For some inexplicable reason, nobody realized that the prince had gone missing."

"How is that possible?" questioned the woman. "Do you mean to say they left without making sure everybody who was supposed to be on board was present?"

"That is where it gets complicated," the Knight replied with a frown. A similar frown appeared on the woman and the Emperor's faces, the latter gesturing for his Knight to explain. "All the guards on duty saw the prince enter the plane but none saw him exit. In addition, all those present, inside the plane and outside, deny having seen anyone exit the plane."

"The only anomaly they reported was that the prince had entered the on-board toilet shortly before taking-off, claiming that he would proceed to join the Princess Nunnally in the sleeping quarters afterwards to rest. Again, for whatever reason, nobody seemed to realize that he was not there, not even the Princess. Nobody even thought to check on him during the entire flight from Pendragon to Japan."

"I've already deployed men to search for the prince," he added just as the woman opened her mouth, a sharp expression on her face. "With help from multiple canine units, we should-"

For the second time that day, someone interrupted the ongoing events within the office. An urgent knocking came from the door, followed by a hurried voice calling out to the occupants of the room. "Your Majesty, we have urgent news!"

Noting panic in the man's tone, though it was good to hear that he hadn't completely lost his calm, Charles immediately called out, "Enter!"

The door opened even before the echo of the words faded from the air and a soldier rushed in, beads of sweat trailing down his face. He took two steps into the office, standing at attention before the three occupants of the room. "Your Majesty, patrols have reported that the Aries Imperial Villa is on fire. We're currently-"

"WHAT?!" The soldier jumped when the woman, one he didn't recognize as being nobility or royalty, interrupted with a furious yell. Swiftly rising from her seat, the woman marched up to the soldier and grabbed him by the lapels of his uniform and pulled until his face was just inches from hers, brown eyes that seemed to glow red practically burning a hole into him. "How long ago was this?!"

It was a testament to his training and awareness that the man, a mere sergeant judging by the markings on his uniform, did not immediately yell in response to essentially being manhandled by an unknown woman who seemed to be a commoner if her clothing was anything to go by.

Instead, his eyes sought out both Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, _and_ Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, and noticed that neither man said anything. The fact that the two most powerful men in the empire did not rebuke the woman for her behavior was more telling than anything either man could have said.

"Th-three m-minutes ago," he responded hurriedly and nervously. Well-trained and aware though he may be, but the fury and anger radiating off the woman was still more than he could handle. "F-five at most. W-we-"

Then he found himself being pushed back, stumbling away as he struggled to remain on his feet. Only his back meeting the wall next to the door stopped him from falling over. But even as he sought to correct himself, the other three people in the room were already in motion.

The Knight of One and the woman were quick to exit, and the soldier couldn't help but wonder just who that woman was and why the news he brought seemed so important to her. Just as he was about to follow, the large figure of the Emperor loomed over him. He barely managed to open his mouth before his brown eyes were met by glowing red eyes, almost similar to the woman's now that he thought about it. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a strange symbol resembling a bird.

* * *

Aries Imperial Villa. Home of the late Empress Marianne vi Britannia and her children, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia and Princess Nunnally vi Britannia.

A beautiful home full of warmth that was reflected in the well-tended gardens and the laughter that echoed throughout its halls, often courtesy of the young princess. The mere sight of the vi Britannia siblings was often enough to warm the hearts of visitors and soften the harsh expressions that were the norm beyond the villa's gates.

It was also a symbol. A symbol of what one could accomplish despite coming from the most humble of upbringings. The Empress Marianne, known by many across the empire as the 'Commoner Empress', had earned her title through her own efforts. Her home had become irrefutable evidence that one can ascend to the very top of the empire from the very bottom if one worked hard enough.

But now…

Now, even after her death, Aries Villa remained a symbol and would forever be a symbol. Not of hope of a better future. No. Certainly not that.

The once beautiful gardens had been reduced to kindling, mere fuel for the fire, while the formerly pristine white walls were now stained black with ash and soot even as the paint bubbled, boiled and melted in the heat. All the while, countless men and women in uniform struggled to put out the blaze that had already consumed most of the premises.

It was to this scene that the Emperor, the Knight of One, and the housekeeper arrived to. Already, it was apparent that nothing could be done to put out the flames. At least, not in time to save the structure. By then, the once beautiful home would be uninhabitable save for those who had nowhere better to go.

But their eyes weren't focused on the burning residence before them. Instead, three pairs of eyes were staring wide-eyed at the black-haired boy standing a short distance away from the front doors. As though sensing their presence, the boy turned around to face them. In response, they froze.

Standing before them, with the burning Aries Villa behind him, was none other than Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, 11th Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. And on his face was the happiest smile any of them had ever seen.

* * *

 **HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE! XD XD XD**

 **I know I gave the impression that it would take longer, but I decided to start writing the story earlier than planned. The planning of the story's major plot points is done as well as a decent portion of the minor and supporting details. As long as the major points are done, I can work on the other details while writing the story.**

 **It just so happened that I finished writing this prologue on Valentine's. Probably not the most romantic gift, but I just think of this as my way of showing my love and appreciation to my followers, reviewers and readers. XD**

 **One important thing I want to mention, as unfortunate as it may be, is that Messiah's Legacy is my main story and will receive the bulk of my focus. As such, this story won't be updated as often. I WILL try to update it at least once a month, but even then I can make no real promises except that I will try.**

 **I can, however, promise two things.**

 **One, I WILL finish the story. It may take a while, but I will.**

 **Two, the first chapter won't take long. A week at most.**

 **After that, I will focus Messiah's Legacy, given that it's quite the massive undertaking (I expect it will easily surpass a hundred chapters before I reach the halfway point). But as I said, I will do my best to give this story a monthly update, perhaps more if I'm especially inspired and motivated.**

 **With that said, please let me know what you all think. I've heard your thoughts on the teaser, now I want to hear what you think of how the story started. I'm sure there are lots of questions so feel free to throw them my way and we'll see if I can answer them without spoiling anything, not unless you specifically ask to be spoiled anyway. XD**

 **Looking forward to hearing your opinions everyone. Until the next chapter then.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **This is a work of fan fiction using characters and/or scenes from the anime/manga Code Geass. I do not, in anyway, claim ownership over the characters, the world, the story, or any other aspect of it. This story should not be, in any way, considered canon. This story is written strictly for entertainment and not for profit.**

 **Warning:** **This story will exhibit 'out of character' behavior on various levels though I will maintain their core personalities while adapting them to the story. If you don't like seeing your favorite characters act differently, then perhaps this story is not for you. I ask that you give it a chance but consider yourselves warned.**

* * *

 **Alright, here's the first chapter everyone. Only one week after the prologue was uploaded, as promised.**

 **A big thank you to those who decided to give my story a chance as well as those who reviewed/followed/favorited(?) the story. I hope this first chapter lives up to everyone's expectations.**

 **Now, another** **WARNING** **before we get to the chapter itself. This first chapter will be filled with quite a lot of exposition (something which readers of my other story should know is fairly normal for me) to fill in a lot of the blanks from the time between the prologue (2009 A.T.B.) and the story's 'present' period (2019 A.T.B.).**

 **This is so that the rest of the story can focus on the present time rather than having to fill in everything through storytelling conversations between characters and flashbacks. There will be some, but I want to keep it to a minimum and just get the majority of the backstory over and done with as soon as possible.**

 **And yes, you're seeing it right. Rather than eight years, the story takes place ten years after the death of Marianne. Two years longer than canon (Lelouch killed Clovis in March 2017 A.T.B.. This story, as you'll see below, starts October 2019 A.T.B.). Anyone who has seen the teaser, which I've already taken down, will most likely understand why I needed to age the characters further by two years.**

 **One last thing of note. I have made changes to how Britannia is as a whole. They are still more or less the same as canon, but I've made some minor tweaks to make the story more interesting. You'll see what I mean about midway through the chapter. Quite a few things may not make sense, such as Euphie's choice in career and how she has been able to pursue it, but I promise that everything will make sense down the line.**

 **It may not be this chapter or the next, but everything has been carefully planned out. So all I ask, is that you put your trust in me, as the author of the story, and just enjoy it rather than worrying too much about the details.**

 **Without further ado… Enjoy. XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – In the Fading Light, Welcome the Night**

 **October 25, 2019 A.T.B.**

The town of Marion never ceased to amaze her.

It was once a small town in the state of Utah called Lytham. It was known in the past only as a farming town with little else of note. But one day, nearly four decades ago today, a remarkable young woman was born in the otherwise unremarkable town. That woman would come to be orphaned in a tragic accident, but would find a patron in a noble family in the neighboring area and would rise up in the world as the years passed.

That young woman would one day return, having been given the town and most of the surrounding area to call her own territory. Though it was often said that, rather than being gifted to her, she had asked for it, rather than accept something closer to the Imperial Capital of Pendragon. While unconfirmed, that thought endeared the people to her and her family even more. In time, the province would be renamed as Bellegarden.

Thus, the town grew in fame despite having little to offer.

It was only within the past decade that the town truly became famous for its own merits. What once was a small town, known only for having been the hometown of a famous figure, quickly grew to become a bustling center of trade for its local goods.

The town's farms now produced some of the freshest vegetables and the sweetest fruits that could be found within the state. In fact, many towns from the neighboring states preferred Marion's produce over their own. And such was the fame of Marion's produce that even the nobility in Pendragon, along with a select few members of the royal family, were more than willing to pay a premium for a steady supply of its goods despite the distance of several hundred miles.

It was often said that it was the growing demand over the years that brought about a response in the way of indoor and vertical farms, as well as the research and development of hydroponics in more recent times. Furthermore, the construction of massive, multi-level greenhouses allowed for year-round cultivation and harvesting rather than seasonal. Anyone who managed to gain entry would also discover that the structure extended underground as well for the cultivation of mushrooms and such. Crops that could grow with minimal sunlight were also found there, using a special system built into the building that allowed sunlight into select areas when needed.

With such easy access to the necessary ingredients, the town extended their services to the production of luxuries such as wine made from various fruits, which saw a similarly quick rise in fame and demand due to the knowledge that the town used their own, high-quality produce for its production.

High demand led to a rise in supply. High levels of supply led to a rise in population in order to keep up with the demand. The increase in population led to the steady growth in the size of the town. In fact, calling it a small city would be much more accurate. It was only because the lord found it too tedious to process the necessary paperwork to have the town recognized as an actual city that Marion remained a town in name.

But whatever else it was called, everyone knew that Marion could no longer be considered a mere 'hometown of a famous figure'. These days, it stood on its own merits, known not for who it was connected to but for what they were able to provide. And what they did provide was easily in high demand throughout most of the empire.

As she watched the buildings pass them by, Cornelia could scarcely believe that this now bustling town was once a quiet little town, a calm and tranquil place for that famous woman to visit when she needed respite from the stress that burdened her due to her position at court.

All it had taken for it to happen was the death of that same woman who first brought a little fame to the town. The death of Marianne vi Britannia. Of Marianne Lamperouge.

And now, ten years since her death, the town of Marion, renamed from its original name of Lytham in honor of the late Empress, had grown well beyond anyone's expectations. Not that those expectations had been high in the first place.

With the death of the woman who brought the town a measure of fame, many of its inhabitants believed they would fall into obscurity once again. In fact, due to Marianne often being known as the 'Commoner Empress', many believed that the Britannian nobility, perhaps even the other Empress Consorts, would act against them in some manner.

It was only the arrival of one man that changed their fates. And it was that same man that Cornelia had now come to visit.

At that moment, a small window separating the front of the car from the back slid open sideways, revealing the face of a bespectacled man with black hair. "We've almost arrived, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Sir Guilford."

Gilbert Guilford, the Spearhead of the Empire and Knight of Honor to Cornelia li Britannia. One of the few people she trusted with her life.

And the life of her sister.

Sitting next to her, hands clenched nervously around the skirt of her dress, was Euphemia li Britannia, Euphie to those close to her, Cornelia's younger sister by ten years, and 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. She was also one of the most kind-hearted people that Cornelia knew of, if not _the_ most kind-hearted. Most importantly, she was the one person that Cornelia treasured the most.

"Don't worry," she said, gently placing a hand on top of Euphemia's own. The trembling, light and almost unnoticeable by the naked eye, stopped almost as soon as she did. "We won't be here long."

Euphemia nodded and Cornelia could see the tension in her shoulders diminishing slightly. Her sister was still nervous, but not as much anymore. Still, Cornelia could understand Euphemia's anxiety. The person they were going to meet wasn't easy to talk to.

Normally, Cornelia would have left Euphemia at home but this was one of the few times that her younger sister willingly decided to come along. Given the circumstances, it was understandable why.

Soon, the car came to a stop. After a minute of silence, which Cornelia knew was caused by Guilford ensuring the area was secure enough – no place was ever completely secure in his mind when it came to her safety – the door was opened from the outside. The driver assisted Euphemia in stepping out but knew better than to do the same with Cornelia.

Once out of the confines of the vehicle, both Euphemia and Cornelia took a moment to admire the scenery.

The garden was as well-kept as ever. Dozens of trees could be seen around the area, some bearing various flowers and fruits. Similarly, bushes and shrubs of all kinds surrounded them and, like the trees, some were decorated by colorful flowers and ripe and berries.

Far off to one side was a small hedge-maze. Well, small in that only children would be unable to see over the hedges but it was large enough to cover a decent portion of the garden in that area. The top of a few heads could be seen running back and forth, searching for the way out. They were most likely children of the household staff who lived on the premises.

Speaking of which, in the opposite direction was a large building which Cornelia knew to be the staff quarters. While many of the household staff lived in the town itself, a little less than half came from other places. Not just nearby towns and cities, but also other regions, states, and, much to the distaste of most of the nobility, countries. As such, having housing available for them was a necessity. Especially given the sheer number of them.

And finally, the home of the local lord. It was less of a house and more of a mansion. A mansion bigger and far more grandiose than the Emperor's own residence. Many had been horrified when the plans were proposed, fearing to insult the Emperor even though it was at the behest of their new lord. Yet no reprisal came and the construction proceeded and finished without any unexpected difficulties.

The home was four stories tall but the height of each floor was at least twice that of an ordinary building, making it more akin to an eight story building. The longer side of the rectangular structure, if Cornelia remembered correctly, was nearly three hundred feet in length while the shorter sides were roughly half that. Each corner also had a bell tower that stood at nearly twice the height of the building itself.

There were literally hundreds of rooms inside. The vast majority were bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms, but the mansion also included two grand ballrooms, four rooftop swimming pools, one of which was a children's pool, a game room, an underground firing range, an "under-underground" bomb shelter, a large dining room, an even larger dining room for when there were guests, and, simply because he could have it, a throne room that was an exact replica of the Emperor's, one which included cardboard cut-outs of various nobility.

In addition, it had been named 'King's Castle'.

All in all, it was a massive waste of space and resources combined with what could very well be a not-so-veiled challenge to the Emperor himself. And yet, for whatever reason, the Emperor had not deigned to comment on it. In fact, he didn't even seem to acknowledge it at all. And since nobody dared question the Emperor, nobody questioned the existence of a mansion more opulent than the Emperor's, nor the replica throne room within it, nor the name.

Cornelia could only sigh in exasperation whenever she saw the mansion. It was most certainly a waste of space. Especially since, discounting those who resided in the staff quarters, only three people actually lived there. And that was including the fact that two of those three people worked for the third. Thus, it could be said that only one person lived in King's Castle.

The front door opened, drawing the eyes of the two princesses as a young woman in a gold-trimmed black business suit stepped out. At first, one might think that she was related to the two princesses due to the coloration of her hair. Cornelia and Euphemia knew better, however, as the two of them had no other full-blooded sibling besides the other.

"Good morning, Your Highnesses," she greeted with a curt bow. They had visited enough times that she was aware of Cornelia's general dislike of long-winded greetings and the like, though that was no excuse to completely eschew formality. "Is it safe to assume that this visit is about my Lord's new posting?"

"Good morning, Anya, and happy birthday," Euphemia greeted with a wide smile, holding out a small box for the smaller girl to take. "I know it's a day early, but I wanted to give you your present now since we might not be staying the night."

Anya Alstreim. Cornelia distinctly remembered the girl from Aries Villa who had been sent to take etiquette lessons from Lady Marianne and often played with the vi Britannia siblings, and even with Euphemia when chance led to them all being present on the same day.

She wasn't sure what happened to young Anya after that day. The next time she saw the girl was just two years ago when she had come out of the house, much like she did just now, and greeted them rather than one of the other household staff.

The shy but cheerful girl had grown up to quite the young woman. Not in physical appearance, though, as her petite stature was a poor indication of age. Rather, she was a much more taciturn person than she was as a child, though it worked well to highlight her professionalism. Outside of her duties, Cornelia found traces of that same cheerful girl. She was just more reserved and less vocal about it all.

Anya explained that, having come from one of the families that supported the Lady Marianne, she traveled to Bellegarden to pledge her support to the new lord. Somehow – Cornelia suspected that it was another of the lord's whims – despite her age of fifteen at that time, young Anya Alstreim had become the Head Chamberlain of the entire household, responsible for not only the day-to-day affairs of the household and town whenever the lord was away, but also the entire Bellegarden region.

It was a heavy responsibility to place on one so young, especially given her lack of experience and age compared to the others, but she did her work with no complaints. And, being used to their lord's eccentricities, the entire household staff was quick to help her acclimatize to her unexpected role. In almost no time at all, she had earned their respect as well as that of the region's many officials.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Anya gave a hint of a smile as replied in a soft but well-projected voice, looking up at the taller girl as she accepted the gift. Though she was now seventeen years of age - or at least seventeen by the morrow - she was still quite petite in stature, standing a half-foot shorter than the younger of the li Britannia siblings.

"I keep telling you, you can just call me Euphie," insisted the younger li Britannia sibling, looking a little put out. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"That may be so but you should be more aware of your station, Euphie," interjected Cornelia. "You are a princess. As such, it is part of her duties to address you with the utmost respect." Not giving Euphemia a chance to argue over an age-old topic, the elder sibling turned to the younger girl. "And yes. That's precisely why we're here. Is he still here or have we missed him?"

"He's-"

"It's Nelly and Euphie! Hello~oo!"

Cornelia felt the corner of her eye twitch in annoyance at that nickname while Euphemia gasped and slowly moved to hide slightly behind her sister, peeking out just enough to keep the front door in her sights.

"- still here," Anya finished, a very brief sigh the only indication that the very sudden, very loud greeting had bothered her. She smiled up at the princesses, red eyes knowing and just a little weary. "Pardon me. I'll need to let the pilot know that he'll need to delay the departure time. Again."

As Anya moved away a short distance, pulling out a pink and white mobile phone to make the aforementioned call, Cornelia mused that it was a testament to the pink-haired chamberlain's experience with dealing with her eccentric lord that she could predict the need for such a thing just by his greeting. That, and her patience for being able to deal with said lord long enough to learn that much.

"Nelly! Euphie!"

Cornelia grit her teeth at the inappropriate form of address but reminded herself that the person running up to them – though it looked more like waddling with the way they moved without bending their knees – from the mansion was one of the very few people she would ever allow to address her so casually. She just wished he used her actual name rather than that god-awful nickname that she hated so.

"Lelouch," she greeted once he came within a reasonable hearing range.

Lelouch vi Britannia, eldest son of the late Marianne vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, seventeenth in the line of succession, Lord of Bellegarden Province. Currently wearing what seemed to be four layers of tactical gear for both his upper and lower body. Maybe more.

' _How did he even move so fast with all that?'_

"Lelouch," she began again, her tone completely unamused. "What are you wearing?"

Lelouch blinked, violet eyes glancing down at himself then back up at Cornelia. "I think they're called clothes."

Cornelia resisted the urge to palm her face. "I meant, why are you wearing that? Moreover, why are you wearing so many layers?"

Rather than Lelouch, an exhausted voice replied from behind the prince. "His Highness was concerned that he would be attacked en route to Area Eleven." Coming up to the group from the mansion was a blonde young man, just about the same age as Lelouch himself. He wore a black and gold uniform reminiscent of a military uniform. Even from a distance, Cornelia could see the tired expression on his face. "I've been attempting to convince him that, while his safety is of the utmost importance, wearing multiple layers, especially this many, will only serve to hamper his movements, making it more difficult to flee should trouble arise."

The elder princess sighed. She should have known it was something as ridiculous as that. Not the part where he was concerned for his safety, but the part where he went overboard with his precautions. It wasn't the first time after all. Just as she opened her mouth to try to help convince Lelouch, her younger brother turned to the blonde to speak.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something Gino." The young man, Gino, turned to the prince, his face barely able to hide his apparent worries. "Why do you always talk like an old man when Nelly's here? I mean, I get that some girls go for older men, but sounding like one and being one are pretty different, don't you think?"

Gino Weinberg, Captain of Lelouch's Royal Guard. Or as Lelouch preferred to call him, his aide-de-camp.

Cornelia would never understand why her brother chose to use titles such as chamberlain and aide-de-camp. Well, they aren't _technically_ wrong but… no, best not to think about it too hard. At the very least, it was better than letting Lelouch refer to Anya as a serving girl – not that the girl in question had tried to contest that decision very hard – simply because she was female and, by technicality, a servant. Or referring to Gino as a manservant simply because he was, again by technicality, a male servant.

Then again, because of how Lelouch tended to be, most of their's duties ended up similar to that of a personal caretaker. Or a glorified babysitter.

In any case, the blonde young man was once considered for a position among the Knights of the Round and rumor had it that the offer would be extended to him once he graduated from the academy. Unfortunately, due to circumstance, he found himself accepting a place by Lelouch's side instead.

Cornelia would forever rue the day she brought Lelouch with her to watch the Imperial Military Academy's pre-graduation display. She had brought him there to see if they could bolster the ranks of his province's garrison by recruiting from the soon-to-be graduates. They had succeeded, despite Lelouch's madness being public knowledge, but Cornelia never imagined Lelouch would also manage to poach the newest Rounds candidate literally seconds before the Emperor's representative could make his own offer to the blonde young man.

"Y-Your Highness, that's-" Gino cut himself off. He raised a closed fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, aware that all eyes were now on him. "It would be improper for me to speak with you in a casual manner while in a public setting."

"Do you mean to say that you speak with him in a casual manner while in private?" questioned Cornelia, brows furrowing in disapproval. Not towards Gino, but towards Lelouch. This was the first she was hearing of this.

"His Highness ordered me to do so in no uncertain terms," the blonde replied without shame. "And I wish to mention that His Highness's definition of 'private' includes all members of his household staff. He has also been attempting to include the rest of the townspeople in that definition." He steadfastly avoided looking in Lelouch's direction, aware that he was now the recipient of a childish look of betrayal, just like the last time he revealed similar information to the Princess Cornelia.

The saddest part, thought Cornelia, was that her brother's aide was not attempting to shift the blame and was simply telling the truth. He, after all, was merely following orders and she knew enough about the blonde that he had, at the very least, offered up some measure of resistance before giving in. It's not that she knew because she was present when it happened, but simply because she knew her brother well enough. More importantly, she knew that he could be very… persuasive. And insistent.

… Among other things.

* * *

The Mad Prince. That was what Lelouch vi Britannia was called among the nobility. And it all began that fateful day in the Emperor's throne room.

Some speculated that being present to witness his mother's final moments was what broke him. Others say that he had always been insane, just that he was never in public long enough for it to be apparent and that his mother kept his condition a secret.

Neither Cornelia nor Euphemia wanted to believe it, but countless incidents over the years, such as the burning of Aries Villa, did little to disprove it. If anything, those incidents only proved that Lelouch truly had gone mad.

Even ignoring the mansion he had built for himself, the area around them showed evidence of his madness in varying degrees.

The scattered trees, bushes and shrubs was a result of Lelouch throwing balls into the air and ordering the gardeners to only plant where they landed. The hedge-maze, when observed from above, was supposed to resemble the human brain. And the four bell towers were added because "The region is called Bellegarden, right? Then my garden should have bells."

The staff quarters was, originally, the house where Lady Marianne stayed when she was the Lady of Bellegarden. Lelouch, when he first arrived less than a month after his mother's death, felt it was inadequate and ordered the mansion be built. Afterwards, he had the smaller dwelling renovated and enlarged into the current staff quarters.

Cornelia, who had taken it upon herself to care for him due to his age, had attempted to reason with him but, as he was the rightful owner of the land, his decision with regards to his territory was absolute in the eyes of Britannian law despite his age. Only the Emperor could overturn the decision as everything in the empire truly belonged to him. That is, if he had even cared to become involved in the matter.

And then there was the town itself.

Contrary to popular belief, the sudden expansion of the farms, including the construction of the 'green warehouses', as he had dubbed them, was not only because of the sharp rise in demand. In truth, it was because Lelouch, seeing the farms that were part of what was now his territory, decided that his food from that moment on should always be as fresh as possible. That, and he often requested produce that either did not, could not, grow in the area due to the climate, or was not available because it was the wrong season for it.

She tried to convince him that it just wasn't possible, that he was being unrealistic. In response, he just said that the province was his and that, if they couldn't follow orders, they had no place in it. That was about the same time that Cornelia realized just how flawed Britannian law was that a nine-year-old boy had absolute control over the lives of so many people. Prince or not, someone as young as he was should not be given so much power and authority unless he proved to be able to wield it responsibly.

After nearly a week of fruitless arguments, Cornelia decided to go with the lesser of two great evils. She gathered together all the important people of the town, as well as the farmers, and went about seeing if there was any viable way of fulfilling Lelouch's impossible demand. It was that, or leave the town they've called home for many generations.

As it turns out, it wasn't so impossible as much as it was difficult. Incredibly difficult. It was possible, they had said, but both the town and its people were lacking in technical knowledge as well as raw materials. It had never been necessary for them in the past. So Cornelia then had her hands full helping the locals seek out specialists to help them fulfill Lelouch's 'request'.

Of course, such projects needed money. Despite being royalty, none of the imperial princes and princesses had access to unlimited wealth, or even the empire's treasury without the Emperor's permission. The management of one's territory would not be reason enough for the man, considering the territory he gave to the family of each of his consorts was not a gift so much as it was a test of ability. After all, how could one rule an entire nation, one that, in present times, spanned more than half the world, if one could not even manage a small province?

The amount of money left behind by Lelouch's mother, while fairly substantial even by the standards of the highest of nobility, would not have been enough for everything. Especially since a decent portion of it went into the construction of his mansion.

Taking it from her own family's finances was out of the question and her own personal funds were hardly enough to even pay for the first month, never mind the entire thing. As a result, Cornelia had to, once again, work with the people of Bellegarden, especially those living in Marion, then called Lytham, in order to produce a steady income to fund the projects.

Cornelia, of course, made sure to bring Lelouch with her at such times to try and teach him about managing his territory. Despite having experience due to aiding her mother in managing their own family's province of Mayfair, it was a different experience having to teach someone about it. Not to mention their province had little in the way of agriculture since its main source of income were the iron mines, steel mills, and, in recent years, access to a very small vein of Sakuradite. As such, she, herself, had to learn more about using agriculture as a source of income in order to help Lelouch.

This had the unintended result of having Cornelia temporarily move in with him because of how long it would all take. Traveling back and forth would only cause unnecessary delays. Truth be told, it had only been a burst of inspiration that led to Cornelia taking her younger sister with her, despite their mother's protests, as she had hoped that Euphemia's presence would help heal whatever malady had taken root in Lelouch's mind while she was busy in town.

Unfortunately, despite Cornelia's best attempts at an explanation, Euphemia, young as she was, was unable to understand why Lelouch was acting the way he was. And without that understanding, the young princess was unable to do anything to help her elder half-brother. In the end, after a few weeks around him, Euphemia began avoiding the young prince.

She claimed it was not out of fear. Young as she was, she was unable to put it into words. When she grew older, she explained that she did not hate him. She simply did not want to interact with Lelouch more than she had to. Not with the way he was now.

The elder li Britannia sibling could understand why. Even she, at times, had not wanted to believe that _this_ was what had become of their beloved half-brother. Yet every moment she spent by his side only solidified the truth. No length of time away from him, no amount of denial, would change that.

Cornelia's one saving grace was the continued loyalty of the many guardsmen and household staff of Aries Villa to the sole surviving member of the vi Britannia line, despite his apparent madness. A part of Cornelia felt that it was because of Lelouch's madness that they remained, wanting to care for the young prince just like she did.

Although many of them were commoners by birth, or perhaps because of it, some of them were able to direct her to people much more knowledgeable on the subject of agriculture. A surprising few even had minor noble roots and were able to acquire the aid of a handful of scientists and researchers who were looking into advancements in agriculture.

It took at least a full year but, eventually, the town had the beginnings of what would later become their claim to fame. And when it was all finally done, Cornelia showed Lelouch that, despite taking so long, his request had more or less been fulfilled. All that was left, was to wait for the crops to grow. But much to her consternation, his only response was, "What request?"

Unfortunately, she was unable to remain in Bellegarden to continue to watch over him nor would she be able to see the town and the literal fruits of their labors. Ignoring the fact that she had her own responsibilities as a princess of the realm, she was also part of the Britannian Army. Her father, the Emperor, granted her leave to support Lelouch until came a time that he could fend for himself.

Thus, shortly after the town became self-sufficient once more, now that their income was not completely being used to fund the agricultural projects and research, the Emperor summoned her and gave Cornelia her first marching orders. She and her unit, which at that time was a mid-sized battalion in number, was to be part of the invading army that would conquer Japan.

She didn't know whether it was providence of sorts, but she knew that it was an opportunity she could not ignore. Going to Japan, regardless of why the Emperor chose to invade now of all times, meant she had the possibility of extracting Nunnally and returning her to her brother's side. Lady Marianne's death broke him to the point that he believed his own sibling was soon to follow. Perhaps seeing her alive would fix what damage had been done.

The only problem had been Lelouch himself. Knowing of his mental state, could she truly leave him to fend for himself? Surprisingly, the answer literally came to her that same night while she was working in the mansion's study, going over the daily reports in an effort to clear her mind.

The senior members of the staff came to her and urged her to go to Japan. They, too, realized what an opportunity it was and promised to care for Prince Lelouch in her stead until she could return with Princess Nunnally.

And yet…

And yet, she returned empty-handed. No. It was even worse. She returned a failure.

Not long after the invasion began, the invading army received word from the homeland. In retribution for the invasion, Japan had executed the Princess Nunnally, going as far as sending a video of her execution to the Emperor. When the invaders heard this, it didn't matter what they felt regarding the princess or the war. All they felt was rage.

They felt rage over the death of a princess. Rage over Japan's audacity to claim the life of a member of the royal family. Rage over the killing of a non-combatant. Rage over killing a blind, crippled girl.

Rage.

Indignation.

Anger.

Fury.

Hatred.

Cornelia had never known true hatred before that day. Not even the death of Lady Marianne, a woman she greatly respected and looked up to, had evoked such powerful emotions within her as with the death of Nunnally.

Strengthened and united by their rage and hate, the Britannian Army swept across the entire land of Japan like a storm. Such was their ferocity that the RPI-11 Glasgow, Britannia's newest weapon of war and the first of the combat-capable knightmare frames, was barely even necessary for their victory.

In fact, the greatest honors of the war fell to Cornelia and her unit. Despite using only conventional weapons and vehicles, their unit, only about four hundred strong, single-handedly conquered the most territory out of dozens that took part in the invasion. Even the four special units that deployed the Glasgows, none of which were under Cornelia's command, were awed by the sheer might and ability of the Second Princess and her personal unit.

In just short of a month, the Japanese government surrendered, pleading only for the cessation of all hostilities. They had even offered up the dead body of Genbu Kururugi, then Prime Minister of Japan, to show their sincerity. While no one on either side mentioned it, it was clearly some sort of exchange. Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi for Princess Nunnally vi Britannia.

Britannia, of course, did not see it as an equal exchange. By the end of the negotiations, which barely lasted a day, Britannia demanded much more than anyone would consider fair or even remotely equal. Even so, Japan willingly, even if grudgingly, paid the undoubtedly overpriced cost needed to end the war. All to bring an end to the bloodshed.

Yet victory felt hollow to the second princess. She won all her battles save for one. Britannia as a whole won the war thanks in large part to her success. Yet what use was winning the war when the one battle she most desired to win was the only one she lost?

As soon as the war ended and she was no longer needed, she boarded a plane and went straight to Bellegarden. To the town of Marion. To King's Castle. To Lelouch.

And were it not enough that she failed to reach Nunnally in time, Lelouch's response to hearing of his only full-blooded sister's death was "Didn't she die last year?"

As much as she wanted to remain in Marion, or even just in Britannia in general, to continue watching over Lelouch, it was not meant to be. Her success in what came to be known as the Pacific War led to her swift rise in the ranks of the army and, consequently, being sent to invade and conquer even more countries. And from there, it became a never-ending cycle.

She would depart quickly and invade just as quickly. Her desire to return home swiftly led her to always seek out the fastest route to victory. The army was almost constantly on the move, never stopping in one place for very long, pushing her soldiers to their physical and mental limits. She was merciless, both to her enemies and any soldier who dared disobey her orders, cutting down any who stood between her and her goal of a swift return. Victory often came much sooner than the Emperor's greatest advisers and analysts ever anticipated, earning Cornelia even more recognition and fame. Even when they included her in their analyses, she would come up with some way to surpass any and all expectations.

She would then return to Britannia, first to visit her sister and then her brother. She would stay with them for as long as she could, managing her duties from wherever she was, whether she was in Lelouch's home in Bellegarden or the li Britannia home in Mayfair. And when the Emperor ordered her to march to war once more, she would depart quickly and return the moment the final battle was won.

To Britannia, she came to be known as the Goddess of Victory, bringing victory to the faithful who followed her every word. To her enemies, she was the Demon of Conquest, an undefeatable nightmare that claimed the life of all who stood in its path. Her soldiers rallied behind her despite the harsh and brutal pace that she set. Her foes quivered in fear long before they faced her in battle. The lands that were conquered prior to her rise to fame were thankful to not have to face her. Those that had yet to be conquered began to consider surrender the moment they heard of her impending arrival.

All the while, none but less than a handful knew the reason behind her determination.

* * *

"So," began Lelouch, stripped of the tactical gear and now clad in a simple garb of black and gold. Well, simple for royalty at any rate. What qualified for simple in the royal family would be considered slightly formal for most nobles, and downright elaborate from a commoner's point of view. "What brings you for a visit today sister? You usually call ahead when you come for a visit."

Cornelia, having had enough of Lelouch's antics for one day, decided to go straight to the heart of the matter. Preferably finishing before his mind conjured up something else. "I'm here about your recent appointment as Area Eleven's new Viceroy." A cup of tea was placed on the coffee table in front of her and she nodded gratefully to Anya. "Thank you."

Chamberlain she may be, but few among the staff were familiar with the specific likes and dislikes of the current occupants of Lelouch's private study. Fewer still could prepare and have them all ready at the same time. Cornelia preferred a more invigorating blend, Euphemia a more calming one, and Guilford usually took coffee when the weather grew cold or chilly like today. That did not even include Lelouch and his… eccentricities.

And at the moment, according to Anya's brief explanation of the beverage when she presented it, it would seem he preferred coffee mixed with lemon ginger tea. Cornelia barely repressed a shudder at the thought of what that combination would taste like.

And to think that it had only been two years since her arrival. Without a doubt, Anya was very, _very_ good at her job despite her age.

"Oh, that. I'm quite surprised myself." This time, Cornelia was unable to repress the shudder that came when she _watched_ Lelouch drink the horrid concoction, draining the entire cup in one go. Without missing a beat, Anya refilled the cup, not even batting an eye. "When the old man called me last night to tell me about it, I thought he was calling about the poison ivy body wash I sent him as a late birthday gift a few weeks ago."

"You sent him what?!"

Surprisingly, yet at the same time not, the outburst came from Gino. It was somewhat expected since, compared to everyone else in the room, he was the least exposed to Lelouch's unique brand of insanity, having only started working as his aide a little over a year ago. Even Anya has been working for Lelouch for two years now. Though he was clearly getting used to _some_ things if he didn't even comment on Lelouch referring to the Emperor as 'old man'.

Cornelia cleared her throat, loudly, before Gino could begin what seemed to be a complaint. And honestly, as much as she was a stickler for certain formalities, she couldn't really blame the young man for yelling at Lelouch. At times, scolding, or even outright browbeating, the black-haired prince was the only way to stop him before he did something with irreversible or unforgivable consequences. Sometimes both. Scratch that, oftentimes both.

Gino was quick to compose himself, remembering just who else was present in the room. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I-"

The magenta-haired soldier-princess raised a hand to cut him off. "I know the feeling very well. However, I want to get this conversation over with as soon as possible." Her attention returned to her younger brother, you was calmly sipping his… drink as though he hadn't just been yelled at. "Let me get straight to the point. Why did you accept?" Lelouch hummed in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "Why did you accept the post of Viceroy of Area Eleven?"

Lelouch's eyes lit up as though finally understanding the question. Given his state of mind, it was honestly hard to say if he truly hadn't understood the first time. "Oh, that. Well, at first I didn't want to but I started thinking that just being here all the time was getting boring. That, and I remembered that that's where _she_ was."

"She?" Cornelia felt her eyes slowly widen. Glancing at the other occupants of the room, she found Euphemia, Anya, and even Guilford with similar expressions. Shock. And hope. Her breathing grew shaky. Did she dare hope after nearly ten years? "Who… who are you talking about?"

"Oh, just some woman named Yamato Nadeshiko," Lelouch replied flippantly, waving his hand without a care. And just like that, the hopes of four people were completely and utterly shattered beyond repair while one blonde just looked confused at their reactions. "Apparently she's the most desirable woman in all of Area Eleven or something along those lines." Then he looked up thoughtfully. "Though I do wonder how she could still be the most desirable after so long. Maybe these Elevens found the secret to eternal youth or something similar. I have heard that their women tend to look younger than they really are."

He looked down in thought then looked back up at Cornelia, nodding resolutely and lightly clapping his hands. "I've decided. I'm going to look into this as soon as I get there." His sister was ready to rebuke him for chasing after something that couldn't possibly exist when he cut in. "Don't worry, if I do find it I'll be sure to share. I'm sure father will appreciate it as well. I'm fairly certain the tree up his ass is because he's worried about growing old."

Once again, it was a testament to their familiarity with Lelouch that they barely even reacted to his words anymore beyond a twitch here or there, or a very brief sigh. Cornelia had even long since given up on getting him to stop saying such things in front of Euphemia. Though by the way Gino was coughing up his tea through his nose, he still wasn't used to hearing something so audacious and vulgar when the Emperor was involved.

Ignoring just about everything Lelouch said, and his… aide's attempts at clearing his airway, Cornelia addressed the issue at hand once more. "Lelouch, are you sure about accepting the post?"

"Of course I'm-"

"Can you handle it?" she interrupted sternly, leaning forward slightly in her seat. "Being Viceroy of an entire Area is only vaguely similar to being Lord of a province. Not only is the scale much greater, but you will also need to be more actively involved in everything that happens. And as I recall you tend to leave most of the work to Alstreim and Sir Weinberg."

As expected, though it shouldn't have to be, Lelouch's response had nothing at all to do with the subject. "You should just call him Gino, sister. He's just my aide-de-camp. It's not like he's some big-shot Knight or anything. Don't want him getting a big head for no reason like the day I hired him."

' _Don't get drawn in,'_ Cornelia had to remind herself. If she allowed herself to be, they'd be arguing over semantics and technicalities for hours. " _My_ _point,_ " she continued sternly, not allowing even Gino himself to argue, "Is that you're far too carefree with regards to your own duties. How can you expect me to believe that you are capable, never mind ready, for the level of responsibility being Viceroy entails?"

"How can I prove I'm ready if I don't test myself?"

Despite the truth in Lelouch's statement, as well as the seriousness in his tone and demeanor when he spoke, Cornelia growled in annoyance. It was times like these when she thought – guiltily at that – that it would be better if Lelouch were completely mad. But no. There were instances, just like now, when his madness seemed to give way to the greater intellect that had been locked away.

At the beginning, his bouts of madness were far and few in between. At least, when compared to how it was now. In those times, the intelligence that she and many others often praised him for shone through in his studies as she taught him how best to manage his province.

But as the years passed, his mental state grew more unstable. His 'request' for fresh produce to be available at all times was just the beginning, though thankfully it was the most problematic. That was not to say that the other problems were small, just that they were not big enough to trouble the entire town or province.

The construction of a military-grade defensive wall around his mansion, mainly due to fear of his family's killers coming after him next; a similar wall being built a few dozen yards from the perimeter of the town, along with a walled-off area for checking unregistered vehicles that wanted to enter or leave for possible explosives or contraband, when someone carelessly commented that he was only concerned for his own safety; an airstrip along with an underground hangar for private use, though Cornelia later convinced him to open to airstrip to the public especially for the shipping of local goods; and a large park with a public pool half the size of the park were some of the most troublesome - but admittedly practical in some way - requests that followed in the intervening years.

Thankfully, none of his outrageous requests were ever harmful. And any that even had the potential to be were quickly shot down by Cornelia, if she was present to hear them. Unfortunately, moments when he was serious were growing scarce. In fact, to her knowledge, this moment was the first in over half a year.

To make things worse, there were times when he was both intelligent and insane. At such times, Cornelia found herself completely dumbfounded as he logically defended an illogical premise. She was beginning to fear that he would one day be completely insane yet capable of utilizing his intelligence.

This, however, may just be one of the worst of his whims. Serious or not.

"Lelouch," she began, softly but sternly. "You are aware that the reason the post of Viceroy is open is because Clovis was killed, correct?"

Lelouch nodded, losing none of his serious demeanor. "Killed in broad daylight in front of a public audience while making a live broadcast on television across the entire Area. Followed by a hijacking of the broadcast to televise a statement from the one who planned the assassination. The person who may have even been the one who killed Clovis by landing a shot to the head from a little under a mile away."

"Don't forget the fact that over a dozen simultaneous raids on military bases occurred across the country while people were panicking over his assassination and later distracted by the broadcast. As a result, the terrorists made off with a few months' worth of supplies that include medical supplies, ammunition, explosives, light artillery, _and_ energy fillers for Knightmare Frames." Cornelia's eyes narrowed. "I trust you don't need me to explain what all that means."

"That the terrorists are poor?"

And the moment of seriousness passed. A quick glance at her watch showed that it barely lasted two minutes. "Please Lelouch, be reasonable," she pleaded, knowing that there was little she could do to convince him through logic at this point. "Why is it so important that you become the Viceroy? Why not just stay here where it is safe?"

"As I said, I'm getting bored of this place," he replied, finishing off his coffee-tea drink only for Anya to replace it with a third cup of the same concoction. "With the terrorists running around in Area Eleven I'm sure I can have more fun there than I can here."

Cornelia _felt_ Euphemia shivering in response even though they were seated apart. And to her right, she could just barely see the deep frown of disapproval on her knight's face. She took a sip of her tea to give herself time to calm down and collect her thoughts, pushing away the images that Lelouch's words brought to the forefront of her mind.

Once she felt she was sufficiently calm, she set her cup down, waving Anya away when she dutifully offered to refill the cup. "I don't suppose there's any way I can convince you to remain here?" She already knew the answer even before she asked, but she had hoped that Lelouch would have something else in mind. Sadly, the smile on his face said otherwise. "I see," she sighed out. "In that case, at least take someone else with you besides Sir Weinberg and your personal guard."

"Oh? What do you mean?" At the very least, Lelouch seemed like he was considering her proposal.

"Even _if_ you are capable enough to manage Bellegarden on your own," left unsaid was the implication that he might not be, "Running an entire Area is, as I've said, vastly different. As such, I recommend taking several people with you to help with managing everything. At the very least, you'll need one person well-versed in military operations and another for the bureaucratic side of things."

"I have Gino and Anya," Lelouch said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Knowing him, it may very well be. "Will they do?" he asked.

Before she could protest and turn down his choices, Gino himself raised an objection. "Uh… I'm not exactly experienced in military command, Your Highness. A squad of soldiers like your personal guard, maybe, but certainly not the provincial garrison, never mind an entire Area. Moreover, I never underwent officer training. I wouldn't know the first thing about-"

Just then, a book was held up right in front of his face. "In that case, you better start reading up, right?" Though he couldn't see it, Gino could just imagine the usual carefree smile plastered on his lord's face. Knowing there was no point in arguing, Gino took the book but maintained his skepticism. "The very first paragraph of page four has some very good advice when it comes to younger officers taking command over an older and more experienced one."

Surprisingly to Gino, even Princess Cornelia herself looked both confused and intrigued. Giving in to his own curiosity, he opened the book to the aforementioned page, which happened to be the very first page of the first chapter, which was conveniently entitled 'Assuming Command'. Clearing his throat, Gino read the passage out loud as he followed it with his eyes.

"'As a new officer, expect a lot of disrespect, or at least the lack of respect, when you take command while having little to no established reputation among the soldiers. This is doubly so when you are younger than most in your position, and even more so when younger than your subordinates. The greater the age gap, the less likely you are to be well-received.' That sounds… about right, actually. Huh," the blonde couldn't help but comment, inwardly flummoxed that Lelouch had actually given him something useful.

Across the coffee table, both Cornelia and Guilford were equally surprised for more than one reason. The first was, obviously, the fact that Lelouch actually had something helpful to contribute, not that reading a book would be enough to teach Gino how to lead an army. The second was the book itself. Both of them, Cornelia especially, had read just about every single book related to the military.

Whether it was books or manuals about tactics and strategy, leadership, battlefield logistics, or even technical manuals about various weapons and vehicles, including the newest airships and knightmare frames, she would read it. If it could be applied to battle then one could be certain that the second princess of the empire either owned a copy and has read it cover to cover enough times to know the contents by heart, or she wanted a copy to own and read.

As such, this particular book caught her interest. While the meaning behind the words was common enough, the way it was presented was new to her. That meant that, somehow and for whatever reason, either Lelouch procured a newly published book before she even heard about it _or_ he had stumbled upon a rare book she had never even heard of.

However, something about the phrasing of the words caught her attention. When publishing books on certain topics, military subjects being one of them, certain rules and specifications must be followed and met. One was the use of the third-person. This book used the second-person perspective. Another is the use of gender neutral pronouns, namely 'they', 'their', and 'them', rather than 'he', 'she', and other derivatives unless necessary, to avoid being accused of gender discrimination.

But the book in the hands of Lelouch's Guard Captain addressed the reader directly. Could that be why the book was unfamiliar to her? Was it published in secret? Had it been written for someone in particular rather than for the army? A manuscript that was never published, perhaps? Or could it be…

Ignorant of the thoughts running through Cornelia's mind, Gino continued to read, now thoroughly enthralled by the book despite knowing that it would not really change much between now and their arrival in Area Eleven. "'As such, your first task will be to quickly gain their respect and assert your own authority to forestall, minimize, or perhaps even completely prevent any acts of insubordination and disrespect, blatant or otherwise. The most obvious method would be to boldly assert your authority in a way that leaves no doubt as to the power that you now wield over them. Sometimes, however, such opportunities will not be available. As such, you may need to come up with some way of forestalling their insubordination until you can prove worthy of your station.'"

"'A good example, at least until you can establish your own reputation, would be reminding your subordinates that you were chosen by someone they all respect and follow. One way of doing this would be to announce, 'I am Gino Weinberg, personal manservant of His Highness, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. If you have a problem with me then feel free to let him know.' In addition,'" he continued to read, completely oblivious to the four wide-eyed stares of disbelief directed his way while a fifth pair was gently shut, its owner savoring the flavor of his coffee-tea mixture. "'By pointing out your own station as someone else's subordinate, you effectively remind them that you, like them, are merely following someone else's orders. Further… more… you…"

Four disbelieving pairs of eyes watched as the blonde Knight allowed his voice to fade away, brows furrowing down in thought only to suddenly shoot up along with his eyes. "Wait, WHAT?! What did I just… Who wrote this?!" The book was quickly shut and blue eyes shot to the title. "The Abridged Yet All-Encompassing Manual on All Things Military for the Dummy by Lel-" Gino suddenly choked on his own words, strangled noises the only sound coming from his mouth.

At long last, Cornelia could not longer hold herself back. A single, gloved hand met her face with a slightly muffled slapping noise. Even if Gino had not uttered that first syllable of the supposed author's name, she would have been able to guess who was responsible just by the overly pretentious title. "Lelouch," she groaned out, utterly exhausted now despite having spent less than an hour with her younger brother. "When did you even write that?"

The black-haired prince perked up at the question, setting down his cup. "Just last night actually." Five pairs of disbelieving eyes turned to him, Gino now included in that number. "After I accepted the position, I knew I'd need Gino's help with running things so I stayed up all night writing the book. I had to run down to town to finish binding it. Hopefully Mr. Garland found the money I left for the materials I took from his shop."

"You… but… how…" Gino continued to splutter incoherently, once again showing his inexperience with dealing with Lelouch.

On the other hand, Cornelia didn't know whether to be amazed that Lelouch finished all that in one night, disappointed that he could not apply the same effort to his official duties, or intrigued by the contents of his overnight publication. She chose the fourth option. "Be that as it may, no book, no matter how… all-encompassing you may claim it to be, can prepare Sir Weinberg for the tasks ahead. And with regards to Alstreim, she will obviously be unable to accompany you as she will be responsible for keeping watch over Bellegarden in your absence."

"But," she added, quickly but firmly, before Lelouch could speak again. " _If_ you really insist on going, then I have proposal for you."

Much to her surprise, Lelouch shook his head with a serious look on his face before she could even lay out her idea. "I'm sorry. As much as the nobility and our siblings may allow it due to our stations, I find incest to be an unsavory practice even though we are only half-siblings and not full-blooded siblings. Rest assured, I won't hold it against you and I will personally ensure that neither Gino nor Anya will ever reveal this informa-"

"IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF PROPOSAL!" A gloved fist slammed down on the coffee table, producing a small crack on the wooden surface, and eliciting a squeak of surprise from Euphemia, who had remained completely silent up until that point. "WILL YOU JUST BE QUIET AND LISTEN?!" Cornelia exclaimed loudly enough to probably be heard throughout the entire mansion, the magenta-haired princess no longer able to restrain her building temper.

Half-standing from her seat, she took harsh, deep breaths, eyes smoldering and just daring Lelouch to keep talking. Thankfully, for both their sakes, he still had enough common sense not to push her. Just as she was getting ready to continue, a soothing scent reached her nostrils. Looking down, she found a new cup of tea, steam rising up and tickling her sense of smell even as the first, unfinished cup was taken away.

The tea, chamomile and lemon unless she was mistaken, did its job, calming her down considerably even just by its smell. She settled back down into her seat. Though her temper had settled somewhat, she was still too agitated to give Anya anything more than an appreciative nod. Even so, she picked up the saucer and brought the tea closer to her, allowing the gentle scent to further calm her down.

After a few sips, which she was thankfully able to make in silence, she set the cup and saucer back down on the coffee table, right next to the crack made by her fist. Cornelia took a few more calming breaths before returning to the previous topic. "Now, as I was saying, I have a… suggestion for you." She didn't dare use the same word as earlier. "I know someone who could help you on the military side of things. He's in Pendragon right now but I should be able to arrange his transfer to Area Eleven by the middle of next week. Hopefully the terrorists won't strike again until then. If they do, then just do your best with whoever is stationed in Area Eleven."

"Unfortunately, while he is somewhat well-versed in bureaucratic dealings, the presence of the terrorists will mean his focus will be solely on them. As such, you will either need to look for someone who can aid you in such matters or handle it yourself. But if you give me a few days I should be able to find some-"

"Actually," Cornelia, and everyone else in the room, tensed up at Lelouch's interruption. "I have the perfect idea for that."

Those words immediately set off alarms in everyone's head. Even Gino had come to realize that _any_ idea that came from Lelouch fell into one of two categories. Possible to implement but incredibly troublesome for everyone but Lelouch himself, or incredibly dangerous to one's health, whether physical, mental, emotional, or any combination thereof. And whenever Lelouch claimed to have a great, amazing, wonderful, or 'the perfect' idea, it was most definitely a combination of the two.

Swallowing down his fear, Gino asked the question that nobody else seemed to be willing to ask. "Wh-what idea?" Now, Gino was not a man who scared easily, he _had_ gone through several years of military schooling and training after all, but the glare that Cornelia shot him was definitely the closest to causing him to relieve himself on the spot. From both ends.

Unfortunately, it was too late to take back his words.

"Well, obviously the terrorists are Elevens, right?" Without waiting for an answer, not that anyone was going to give one to what was clearly a rhetorical question, he said, "Then obviously it means they aren't happy with us. So obviously that means if we can make them happy then they'll stop fighting."

"Lelouch," Cornelia half-growled, doing her best to remain patient with her less than sane brother even as he repeatedly stated the 'obvious'. "We are _not_ giving them back their country."

"Of course not. If we did then _we'd_ be the ones who aren't happy." That was definitely a gross understatement and a massive oversimplification of things. "Let me rephrase. We just need to make them happy to be under Britannian rule. With that in mind, I thought about who could help me do that while I'm there. And that's when I realized that I knew the perfect person for the role."

It was all just one big lead-up to his main point, everyone there realized that. And when they did, they tensed for whatever his perfect idea was. Still, a tiny part of them was hopeful. Despite his madness, he had clearly put some measure of thought into this idea of his. There was that very slim, very improbable chance that he would, for the first time in ten years, have a genuinely good idea.

"I did a background check on them and here's what I came up with." He reached into his pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Cornelia, who took it and warily opened it to find a fairly comprehensive list. "They've only been active for about two years, but in those two years they've managed quite a lot."

Lelouch recited a summary of the list's contents from memory, all the while Cornelia's eyes followed. And slowly opened in shock.

"Founder and head of Britannia's biggest, and _only_ , humanitarian organization." From the seat beside Lelouch, Gino watched in confusion as Princess Euphemia suddenly turned pale.

"Accepted and beloved by Numbers, Honorary Britannians, _and_ Britannians. It's mostly the commoners for that last one but there are quite a few supportive noble families here and there, both openly and not." Guilford's eyes slowly grew wide at those words.

"In fact, the organization is openly backed by our own Prime Minister as well. As I understand it, overall acceptance of Britannia has risen dramatically across all the Areas under Britannian control. Well, except for Area Eleven, obviously." Anya soon followed the other two, eyes and mouth opening in shock and complexion turning pale, much to Gino's further confusion.

Before Gino could so much as ponder on the strange reaction of the trio, a crinkling sound reached his ears. His eyes found the source to be the paper which was now clutched tightly in Cornelia's lightly trembling fist. When he glanced at the princess's face, he found himself frozen in fear at the expression of barely restrained rage on her face. "I'll only. Ask. Once," she ground out through gritted teeth. " _Who_ are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know," Lelouch responded playfully while raising his cup to his mouth, either unaware or completely unconcerned by the rage that was directed at him. "Why, it's none other than dear Eup-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Anya jumped back at the outburst, tipping over the serving cart and spilling all the tea and hot water, and shattering all the cups, saucers, and teapots. Euphemia looked ready to faint. Guilford glowered at the prince, looking ready to throttle him. Gino…

Gino could only stare, either out of amazement or utter shock, perhaps both, as Lelouch tipped his cup back to take a sip, completely ignoring the table that had been all but split in half by the fist of Cornelia li Britannia, Second Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, and Field Marshal of the Britannian Army.

* * *

When she was just shy of seventeen years of age, Euphemia approached Cornelia, asking to accompany her to what would, at that time, come to be known as Area Eighteen. She had claimed that she wanted to see, with her own eyes, what Cornelia did. Euphemia knew, of course, but knowing it and seeing it first-hand were two different things. The two siblings argued but, eventually, Cornelia gave in and allowed Euphemia to accompany her provided she followed her orders without question.

Despite having never seen war, Euphemia proved herself as strong in spirit as any of Cornelia's soldiers, even if not in body. She watched every single battle from the safety of the mobile base, which was the closest Cornelia would allow her to be. Though she was a pacifist, she never once looked away from the brutal reality of war. Whether it was the crimson symbols on the tactical map that rapidly disappeared, the explosions in the distance that repeatedly shook the very air, the combat vehicles that returned riddled with dents and bullet holes and splattered with blood, or the soldiers that returned soaked in blood and smelling of death, one or both of which were sometimes their own, Euphemia took it all it with the grace and dignity expected of royalty.

Only at night, in the privacy of hers and Cornelia's quarters, would she show any weakness. Often times it came in the form of tears. Sometimes it came in the form of her stomach's contents. Either way, only Cornelia would bear witness to such events, comforting her sister and answering any and all questions the pink-haired pacifist had. Then, come the next day, Euphemia was ready to watch once more as her sister led tens of thousands of soldiers to slaughter the enemy across the entire battlefield.

The end of the war came via the fall of the Middle Eastern Federation's final bastion.

At the same time, that moment marked the beginning of Euphemia's own rise to fame.

Less than a week after the last of the defenders fell, while Cornelia was busy bringing order to the newly christened Area Eighteen and preparing to return home, dozens of ships and planes arrived unexpectedly from the homeland bearing countless crates of food, clothing, and medical supplies. At first, the soon-to-be Field Marshal thought that someone mistakenly assumed that the army was in desperate need of supplies.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Never, even in her wildest imaginations, did she expect Britannia, the living embodiment of Darwinism, the staunchest believers in the philosophy of survival of the fittest, to offer aid to the people of the former Middle Eastern Federation. Nor did she expect Britannia's Prime Minister _,_ of all people, to openly support such an act by sending a representative, one that was easily connected to him, to supervise the process. But most surprising of all was that Cornelia did not, could not, and would not believe that the mastermind behind it all had been none other than Euphemia herself.

She questioned her younger sibling in private later that night, confused, amazed, and angry all at once. Why had she done it? Who or what put such an idea into her head? How did she manage to organize the entire thing? Was that why she wanted to accompany her to the battlefield? All that and more spilled out of Cornelia's thoughts through her lips.

Euphemia, undaunted by Cornelia's anger at having gone behind her back, answered with her head held high.

She had watched for years as many of her siblings went on to do great things. Odysseus, despite not being the most talented or gifted, was still an able negotiator and mediator of conflicts. Schneizel became Prime Minister of Britannia and was the most capable of all their siblings on the political field. On the martial field, Cornelia was Field Marshal in all but name by that time, hailed as the Goddess of Victory and feared as the Demon of Conquest. Clovis was a successful artist and also Viceroy of Area Eleven. Marrybel had established an anti-terrorism force and had brought low many such groups within their conquered territories. And despite not being the most responsible, Lelouch still did his part, however minimal, in governing Bellegarden.

Euphemia wanted to do something as well. Something more than just learning how to govern Mayfair from her mother and, when she was present, her sister. The idea came up shortly after Anya came into Lelouch's employ.

Remembering the shy girl she used to play with, Euphemia quickly reacquainted herself with her fellow pinkette on one of the latter's few days-off from work. When Anya mentioned that, ever since Lady Marianne's death, she had always wanted to help Lelouch in some way, Euphemia couldn't help but bring up her problems.

After sharing her problems with her friend, said friend then shared her own story from the time she left Aries Villa to the time she came to Marion. Much like Euphemia, she wanted to do something but did not know what. In the end, she decided to just come to Marion and just let things fall where they may. It hurt seeing her childhood playmate behaving the way he did, but she simple took it as a sign that she was needed there.

It didn't help Euphemia very much but, when Cornelia's next marching orders came, she found herself thinking. It took a little research, but she was able to come to a decision. The next two weeks between then and her sister's departure was filled with frantic phone calls to certain people, one of whom was her older half-brother, Schneizel. It was his support and help that made her plan possible.

Her decision to accompany Cornelia was simply so that she could see war first-hand. And while it was a poor substitute for experiencing hardship and suffering first-hand, seeing what the battles left behind, especially when the battle involved a town or city, helped Euphemia better understand the suffering the soon-to-be Numbers were going through and would continue to go through. All of that only served to reinforce her decision.

By the time the war ended a handful of months later, Schneizel's preparations in Britannia were finished and all that was left was to send off the volunteers and supplies to the newly christened Area Eighteen.

And Area Eighteen was only the beginning. For a little over two years now, Euphemia had been at the head of many humanitarian projects both within the empire's borders and the empire's many colonies. And it didn't matter which Area it was. Regardless of whether it had been conquered for years or just the day before, Euphemia would determine what the locals needed and did her best to procure it.

In the beginning, Cornelia was greatly concerned for her sister. Many were her worries, but the greatest of them all was the possibility that Euphemia's actions had painted a target on her back. A target that the nobility and royalty would aim for from the shadows. There was a reason that the Britannian Empire had no need for humanitarian organizations. At least, not one that was aimed at helping the Numbers.

It was only the fact that a certain someone had openly supported Euphie that Cornelia did not order her soldiers to put a stop to the distribution of supplies long before any of the Numbers received it. So after returning from the newly established Area Eighteen, the very first person she sought out was Euphemia's main backer, Schneizel el Britannia, the Second Prince and Prime Minister of the Holy Britannian Empire, Cornelia and Euphemia's older half-brother.

When she spoke with him, he explained that Euphemia had gone to him with her idea while Cornelia was preparing to march. He had, in all honesty, been against the idea, knowing the same things as Cornelia. In fact, he had gently shot down the idea.

But two days later, Euphemia forwarded the same proposal with a few changes. This time, the organization would not be presented as a mere charity. Rather, she was aiming to cater to the sense of _noblesse oblige._ In a sense.

And it was those changes that prompted Schneizel to lend their kind-hearted younger sister his support.

Afterwards, when Cornelia spoke with Euphemia once more, she had asked about the changes she made to the original proposal. Specifically, where she got the idea. Such ideas were not ones that she thought Euphie to be capable of. Schneizel, perhaps, but he had admitted that everything had come from Euphemia.

Surprisingly, the younger sibling admitted that the additional concept was not hers. It was simply her idea to use it in conjunction with hers. Cornelia was even more surprised when she was told where the concept came from.

But, surprising or not, it worked. With just a little creative wording, not even the staunchest Darwinist could deny that Euphemia's work actually promoted the Britannian belief instead of impeding it.

Thus, Euphemia li Britannia became the founder of the Caritas Foundation, an organization that sought to better the lives of all those under the Britannian flag. Whether noble or commoner, Honorary Britannian or Number, any and all were eligible to receive aid in its various forms.

They distributed food and water to places that have yet to recover from war; constructed sturdy, if simple, shelters for the homeless; aided in the reconstruction of ghettos to better match the better parts of the settlement; built basic healthcare facilities and provided first-aid training to anyone willing to learn; provided free basic education and sponsored scholarships to the best schools; and even provided honest work for the unemployed.

Acceptance was slow in the beginning. That was understandable. But as the months passed, many, the Numbers and Honorary Britannians especially, came to realize that Euphemia's aid was genuine. It was not unlimited, but what she did give was given freely, paid for by the more charitable and generous people of Britannia.

And soon, many Numbers who once steadfastly clung to the past were applying to be Honorary Britannians.

It still had its fair share of problems, but those were overshadowed by the overall and long-term benefits. Even in a mere two years, those benefits have already outweighed the problems a hundred times over.

And at present, only one Area remained where Euphemia's work was not well-received as a whole. Or even at all.

Area Eleven.

* * *

Unfortunately, not even the combined efforts of Cornelia, Guilford, Anya, and Gino could dissuade Lelouch from his decision. The worst part of it all was that he was right in all regards.

The reputation of Princess Euphemia, as the founder of Britannia's sole humanitarian organization, would be a powerful and effective means of combating the discontent of the Elevens. Her work was known the world over. Few could even accuse her of using false benevolence to buy the loyalty of Numbers without being assaulted, physically or verbally, by those same Numbers.

Such was the power she now wielded.

There was still the issue of _why_ past efforts failed to change the opinion of Elevens, a fact that Cornelia pointed out. In response, Lelouch pointed out that the issue could be better discovered and addressed from the Area in question. And while it was not absolutely necessary for Euphemia herself to be there, her presence would be far more effective than whichever representative she sent.

"Furthermore," Lelouch added, "The simple fact that she personally went there would go a long way in convincing the Elevens that she's being sincere."

But quite possibly the biggest reason why Lelouch managed to secure Euphemia's aid was because the Emperor himself had given Lelouch permission to take anyone he wanted with him. Anyone, that is, save for those whose names appeared on the list that he sent the prince the night before. Unfortunately for them, Cornelia's name was near the top of the list while Euphemia's name was nowhere on it.

In the end, Cornelia grudgingly decided not to contact the Emperor to argue her case. However, while Lelouch might not have been able to bring Cornelia with him, that did not mean she could not accompany them and, temporarily, handle the military matters while waiting for the arrival of the man she had recommended to Lelouch earlier. Thankfully, both she and Euphemia had a small wardrobe of their own in King's Castle so they didn't need to travel to Mayfair to pack.

After a brief ride to Marion's airport, leaving Anya to take care of both the town and the whole of Bellegarden, the three royal children, one Knight of Honor, one Royal Guard Captain – "He's just an aide." – and a squad of ten veteran soldiers from Bellegarden's garrison were soon sitting in Lelouch's private jet and departing for Area Eleven.

* * *

"I'm going to take a quick nap," Lelouch announced once the pilot informed them that it was safe to take off their seatbelts. "Don't wake me until we're there. Even if the plane crashes."

Nobody commented on his words, though Gino went with the prince to his personal quarters, just to make sure he actually did what he said he would. When he returned a few minutes later, he collapsed into his seat with a weary but relieved sigh, reclining his seat slightly and shutting his eyes. "Finally."

An amused huff reached his ears from the side, and he belatedly remembered that he was not alone. The soldiers were in the next cabin, where the only exits were located, while Gino, Guilford, and the two princesses were in a smaller cabin that had thicker walls for better protection. While it would not protect them if they were to fall from the sky, nothing short of light, perhaps even heavy, artillery could pierce through the armored walls in one go. Not that Gino was looking to try finding out while he was inside.

Opening his eyes and turning to the right, he found himself on the receiving end of the gaze of the woman known as the Goddess of Victory. "Has he been more troublesome than usual lately?" she asked, some concern leaking into her tone. Beside her, Euphemia leaned forward and turned to him as well.

"Not exactly," he replied wearily, almost lazily in fact. Now that they were no longer speaking about official business and such, he didn't have to speak so formally. Even to or in front of Cornelia, though it went without saying that he would have to maintain a proper level of respect regardless.

A year ago, he might have done his best to maintain the formal persona he reserved for when he was faced with nobility and royalty, regardless of how exhausted he was. But after a few months of working for Lelouch, he learned from Anya that the normally strict princess allowed those working for Lelouch some level of casualness in her presence as long as they weren't 'on duty'.

The Head Chamberlain explained that it was Cornelia herself who told her that little tidbit previously. "I'm well aware of how difficult it can be to deal with my brother on a daily basis. As long as you do not neglect your duties or overstep your bounds, I'm willing to overlook such minor details even in my presence."

"He didn't mention anything about becoming Viceroy until about an hour before you arrived," he explained. "I know he received a call from His Majesty last night, but Prince Lelouch never mentioned the words Viceroy or Area Eleven. Afterwards, he just said that His Majesty gave him a task and that he'd tell me in the morning." Gino let out a brief laugh. "At least nobody can call him a liar."

"True," Cornelia agreed with some amusement, but also with some sadness. "His sanity may have taken leave of him, but I don't recall him ever becoming a liar." Then, with a faint grin aimed inhis direction, she added, "Save for one occasion in particular." The grin was returned, much to Euphemia's confusion. "Though I do wish he wouldn't stretch the truth so much."

"I think all of us do," mused Gino, receiving a small smile in response from the princesses. Guildford remained as stoic as ever. "Anyway, to start, I found him eating a small cake by himself for breakfast. Forced himself to finish it even though he obviously couldn't. Things were… relatively normal for a while after that. At least they were until I finally found out that he accepted the post of Viceroy and that we were expected to leave today, which I only found out because I found him packing his belongings. Then he kept insisting that he needed to pack literally everything he owns and he nearly ordered the entire household to prepare to join him in Area Eleven."

"And then there was his concern for his safety," Cornelia added, remembering the incident when they arrived with Lelouch running/waddling his way while wearing five tactical vests and the same number of matching pants. Never mind his usual clothing underneath it all.

"And then there was his concern for his safety," confirmed the blonde. "Not to mention everything that went on after that. Speaking of which," he turned his gaze to the younger of the princesses. "Not to be presumptuous but are you sure about joining us? I mean, I don't think anyone hasn't noticed that you try to avoid Prince Lelouch when-"

"…s not…"

Faint though her voice might have been but Gino's ears still picked it up, even if he couldn't understand what she was trying to say. "Uh… pardon?"

The princess seemed to hesitate before repeating what she said while turning away. "I said… that's not Lelouch. It just can't be."

Perhaps he looked as confused as he felt. Or maybe she just anticipated his question. Either way, Cornelia drew his attention back to her when she spoke. "What she means is that Lelouch as he is now is not the Lelouch we grew up with. And it's certainly not just because he's older now."

Cornelia wrapped an arm around Euphemia's shoulders, allowing the younger girl to bury her face in the crook of her neck, hiding the way her face was straining to hold back her tears. "I'm sure that even in the academy you've heard rumors about Lelouch." Her hand gently ran up and down the length of Euphemia's upper arm even as her body trembled with each shaky breath. "About how he's always been the way he was and that Lady Marianne's death meant she could no longer hide the truth."

"So that wasn't the case then." It wasn't a question. The fact that she was telling him all that told Gino that she was about to dispel the veil of rumors around the truth.

"Lelouch was, undoubtedly, one of the most intelligent among the royal children. I may not know all my half-siblings by name, or even a quarter of them, but I know for a fact that Schneizel is at the very top of that list strictly in terms of intellect. And he once admitted that even he believed that Lelouch had the potential to surpass him."

"So when Princess Euphemia says that he isn't Prince Lelouch…"

Cornelia nodded at the unfinished statement. "Call it what you will, but we all cope with the situation in different ways. Euphie knows it's immature to deny a truth that's staring you in the face, but even now, nearly ten years since he began to change, I sometimes find myself thinking that this is just one long nightmare. Sometimes it's just easier to deny reality than to suffer the truth." She sighed. "There's more to it, of course, but… but there are some things that you just have to see for yourself. And believe me, you just might see it before the week is over."

That last statement sent a chill down Gino's spine for some reason. Or perhaps it was the dark look that settle on Cornelia's face as well as the almost fearful one on Euphemia's. Whatever the reason, he began to prepare himself for something unexpected from Lelouch. Something that was enough to make the two princesses react like this.

Silence reigned for a few moments as Gino digested the information and Cornelia helped Euphemia calm down. But while he was going over what he was told, something came to mind. "Your Highness," he called out softly, sitting upright and turning in his seat for face the elder princess. "Before I left home for Marion, my friends and family started telling me things about the prince and even some things about why he is the way he is now. Unfortunately, nothing really painted a clear picture for me. If it's not too much to ask, what exactly happened that night? What changed him?"

Cornelia gave him a searching look, and Gino did his best not to flinch or turn away. Whatever it was she was looking for, she must have found it as she nodded in satisfaction. "You've stayed on with Lelouch for more than a year now and even Alstreim has vouched for you. Moreover, you and Euphie will be the only ones in Area Eleven I can fully entrust him to. It's only right that you know to better understand him."

The Field Marshal sighed and shut her eyes briefly. When she opened them, Gino could see that she was not looking at something that was physically present. "Lelouch and Nunnally were with me the night that Lady Marianne was murdered. She was supposed to take them to see a musical performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, but something came up and she asked me to take her place."

"In the end, it hadn't been necessary. Somehow or another, more than half their members, as well as a large number of guests at the hotel they were staying at, were suffering from food poisoning earlier that day. Knowing that members of the royal family would be present, they decided to go through with the performance hoping that their case was mild enough that it would pass before they needed to perform. Idiots didn't even think to call for a physician. Needless to say, thousands were upset as they left the theatre hall that night."

"So instead, I took them out for dinner and a brief walk around a nearby park. After being… convinced," a rueful yet amused smile graced her lips for a moment, "To buy a cake to take home for Lady Marianne, we returned to Aries Villa. They wanted to surprise her, so I called ahead to let the guards know not to announce our return, nor that the performance was cancelled."

"As it turns out, Lady Marianne's guest had yet to arrive and we were informed that she was waiting at the entrance hall. With some help from the guards and the household staff, we drove in through a side gate so as not to be seen from the entrance hall's windows and entered from the back. Nunnally ran ahead of us, excited to show her mother the cake that she had picked out, while Lelouch and I followed at a much more sedate pace."

Were it not for what was coming next, Gino might have jokingly pointed out that the slower pace might have been because of Lelouch's poor stamina. But he had seen the grimace on Cornelia's face before it even appeared and remained silent.

"We weren't far from the entrance hall when we heard it. Gunshots. And a scream. One that we recognized as Nunnally's." Cornelia's expression tensed and darkened, and Gino could see the way her hand, the one not holding onto Euphemia, curled into a fist. "It was only a few seconds but the killer had disappeared by the time we arrived, followed shortly after by a handful of the housekeeping staff who were finishing up their duties for the night."

"Nunnally's injuries were all focused on her legs, most likely because Lady Marianne shielded her with her own body. And she most likely lost consciousness from the shock of everything that had happened. On the other hand, Lady Marianne was barely clinging on to life and she used what little strength she had left to speak with Lelouch. She passed away right in front of him."

"Nunnally survived but her injuries cost her the use of her legs. And, according to the doctor, the psychological trauma she suffered from seeing her mother's death led to her shutting her eyes. Permanently. She would be as good as blind until she overcame the trauma. Not that she'd have the chance to try now. As for Lelouch…"

She didn't really need to say anything. Gino had seen first-hand what that tragedy had done to the young prince. The older household staff, including Anya, told him that he hadn't always been as bad as he was now. That his current state of mind was a result of nearly a decade of decline. It definitely didn't help that Nunnally, the one hope they had, was killed by the Japanese during the war.

There was, however, one part of the tale that caught his interest. "What about the-"

"The killer escaped," preempted Cornelia. "Whoever they were, they not only managed to enter without being seen, but they were also able to kill a handful of guards on their way out. About a week later, while I was investigating Lady Marianne's murder, I learned that one of the housekeepers was found dead in her own home. I remember that she was one of the first to arrive at the scene, just shortly after Lelouch and myself."

"So she was either silenced because she knew something-"

"-Or because she was an accomplice who was also a liability," finished Cornelia, having come to the same conclusion years ago. "Unfortunately, nothing I discovered led to either possibility. I had one lead left I intended to follow but, in the end, because the Emperor sent Lelouch to Bellegarden after the burning of Aries Villa, I had to choose between continuing the investigation and watching over him."

Euphemia chose that that moment to rejoin the conversation, "Sister." Cornelia turned away from the blonde young man and to her sister. "Is there… Do you think we still have a chance of getting back the old Lelouch?"

Now _there_ was a question that Cornelia had honestly been asking herself for years now. And judging by the way Euphemia asked, the two of them were most likely of the same opinion. "No." It broke her heart to see Euphemia's crestfallen expression, but it was something she needed to hear. Something Cornelia needed to hear herself say. "I believe I told you this before, but Lelouch's condition has been slowly deteriorating over the years. You and I have tried but our best efforts have done nothing. If there was ever a chance, then only one person could have brought Lelouch back."

"But she's dead," Euphemia finished with a pained look. "She would have turned seventeen today if she were still alive."

"You mean Princess Nunnally?" asked Gino, to which the two princesses nodded. "I remember learning about what happened to her back in the academy. It… she didn't deserve that kind of end." Cornelia nodded, accepting the blonde's words for what they were.

And then, they fell into silence once more, with Gino lying back in his reclined seat but pulling out a thick, white folder. "By the way," he suddenly said, turning to the two princesses once more. "There's a second bed in the back if anyone wants to use it."

Euphemia was about to turn down the offer, knowing that the bed was Gino's, but Cornelia beat her to it. Or rather, Cornelia kept her from turning it down. "Take the bed if you need it," she said. Euphemia could pick up the subtle undertone in her sister's voice. The one that told her not to bother arguing. "The flight to Area Eleven will take about half a day but because of the time difference we'll arrive as though it's only been a few hours, though it will be the next day."

"About four hours, Your Highness," piped in Guilford, speaking for the first time since they boarded the plan. "We should arrive in the early afternoon by Area Eleven's time."

"I'm gonna have to thank Anya for sending word to whoever's in charge over there," added Gino. "With all the hassles earlier it completely slipped my mind until she told me she'd already done it. Might have even arrived without any security whatsoever. Even after a year I've still got a lot to learn."

"In that case, you'll need to learn quickly, considering the situation in Area Eleven," commented the bespectacled Knight of Honor, a hint of disapproval in both his face and tone. "As Captain of the Prince's Royal Guard, his life is almost literally in your hands."

Surprisingly, it was the second princess who came to Gino's defense. "Considering Lelouch's condition, he's actually learned fairly quickly. At this point, he just needs to continue adapting to Lelouch's more… audacious words and ideas. Still, that will come naturally the longer they're around one another. The biggest problem is his lack of military experience." She then turned her eyes on Gino and got his attention. "Therefore, as… strange as this may be to hear, I recommend you read the book that Lelouch somehow wrote overnight."

The looks of surprise she received, not just from Gino but from Guilford and Euphemia as well, was entirely expected. Even more surprising to them was when she stood from her seat, reached into the overhead bin, and produced the book in question from her satchel. "I looked through it earlier and, believe it or not, he seems to know what he is talking about. The tone and wording is distinctly Lelouch, and his… suggestions are best taken as guides and not direct orders, but you'd be surprised at how accurate the information here is as well as how many topics it covers. I'd go as far as saying that calling it 'all-encompassing' may only be a slight exaggeration. Perhaps not even an exaggeration at all."

Gino could only nod dumbly, accepting the book that he thought he had left behind. He hadn't even considered taking it with him after seeing that it was written by Lelouch. But if the Goddess of Victory herself was telling him to, then who was he to argue?

He sighed internally. With the addition of the book that was almost the size of a dictionary to the reading list, on top of all the information he needed to go over about the current situation in Area Eleven, it looked like he would have little time to rest on the flight. And knowing Lelouch, he probably only read the first page of each of the reports. If even that much. Gino would definitely have to make up for Lelouch's laziness.

"You know, if Anya were military-trained she'd probably be better at my job," he couldn't help but muse. "With how hard she works, she'd go through this book and memorize the whole thing in two days flat even while doing her job. Maybe less."

"Don't sell yourself short, Weinberg. You were once considered for the Knights of the Round." At that reminder, both Gino and Cornelia shared a wry grin. "It was just poor luck and carelessness that you ended up with my brother."

"How _did_ you become Lelouch's Royal Guard Captain?"

The question from the younger princess surprised Gino, who glanced at Cornelia, who then shook her head discreetly, indicating that she hadn't told her sister anything. That meant it would be completely up to him what he wanted to reveal.

In the end, he decided that there wasn't really anything to hide. "That," he began, setting down the folder on his lap. "Is a very embarrassing story. Of course, I knew about the rumors that the Emperor was looking to recruit me after I graduated. My friends were pretty excited about it. Not that I wasn't excited too, but I told 'em there wasn't any point in getting a big head. At that time, it was just a couple of rumors since we haven't heard anything official."

He huffed in amusement, though Euphemia could detect a bit of weariness as well. "Long story short, I mistook Prince Lelouch for the Emperor's representative when he came up to me and my friends after the pre-graduation display we held to show-off our skills, discipline, and all that. He told us his name was Alan Spacer, or something like that, then went on about representing someone from the royal family who wanted my services."

"After talking for a bit, he hands me some papers, tells me to go over them and take my time to consider my options. For all my talk just a couple of days ago I ended up getting a pretty big head. Probably didn't help that my friends were there egging me on." He shook his head, grinning ruefully all the while. "Told 'im I didn't need any time to think about it and just asked him where I needed to sign."

"And you signed?" Euphemia asked, blinking incredulously at the still grinning Gino. "Just like that?"

"To be fair to His Highness, he even asked me again if I was sure. Even told me to read the whole contract before I actually went and signed it. But, like the idiot I am, I told him I'd have lots of time to read it over later. So I signed the contract along with two of my friends and another two people nearby as witnesses to the whole thing. Signed every page too. Then, literally the second I put down the pen, I find out that he wasn't the Emperor's representative."

"How did you find out?"

Cornelia snorted in amusement. "Because _I_ brought the real representative to him at that moment." She shook her head with a weary smile. "I recognized the man and was curious about why he was there so I approached. I was interested in meeting the newest Rounds candidate so I accompanied him when he went to search. That's when we found Weinberg with Lelouch."

"The mess that came after that is one I'd rather forget. Needless to say Lelouch got into a bit of trouble with father. Not that Lelouch cared nor was he punished for it. He, technically, did nothing wrong. He made an offer, and the offer was accepted. Although Lelouch gave a false name, everyone, even Weinberg, agreed that that was the only outright lie he told that night."

Gino nodded in agreement, though he looked quite sheepish. "He never actually said that he was His Majesty's representative. I just assumed he was because of the rumors. All he said was that he was representing a member of the royal family, which he was, technically, since he was representing himself. He never pressured me into signing the contract and even told me, twice, to read it first and to take my time deciding. If I wasn't so stubborn about it and actually read it, I would have seen his name on the very first page. It was practically at the top too, and not hidden in all that legal-speak."

Euphemia didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for the blonde young man. She went with the former, though only because both her sister and the young man in question seemed to find some amusement in the whole thing. He was right. That _was_ a very embarrassing story.

That subject turned out to be the last of their conversation as Gino went about going through his reading list while discussing some of its contents with Cornelia and Guilford to get their opinions. They were, after all, more experienced than he was in most things.

Euphemia occupied herself by going over a similar reading list to Gino's. While she might not have volunteered to go there, getting Area Eleven to accept the aid her organization was giving them had been at the top of her to-do list for years now. The only reason she had been unable to personally supervise things was because everyone, including Schneizel and Cornelia, argued against it, pointing out that Area Eleven was still highly unstable, having the largest number of active resistance groups and terrorists among all of Britannia's colonies due to their swift surrender during the war. It had stopped the bloodshed, but it also meant their soldiers had blended into the populace, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Now, however, she had little choice but to go there to help Lelouch. It might not have been how she wanted to do it, but this was still an opportunity she would have difficulty turning down. Perhaps now she could get to the bottom of the mystery of why many Elevens turned down help from the Caritas Foundation. The only issue was that she would have to help Lelouch with the Area's bureaucratic side.

Bureaucracy was not Euphemia's specialty, but she knew enough from helping her mother govern Mayfair to be of help, even if only a little bit. In fact, being able to handle the bureaucratic issues would only help her humanitarian work since nobody, save for Lelouch, could interfere once she gave an order. And with Gino handling the military matters, unless Cornelia's contact arrived to take over rather than assist, it would almost be like working with Cornelia to deliver aid to the locals after each battle and war.

The only issue that worried her was the nineteen-year-old, almost twenty-year-old, prince sleeping in the next cabin.

* * *

 **October 26, 2019 A.T.B.**

After flying for nearly half a day, Lelouch's private jet, a pristine white affair that he named the Blackbird – "It's much cooler-sounding than Whitebird." – landed at a military base, which Cornelia chose at random to minimize the chances of an assassination in the unlikely event that the terrorists somehow found out their arrival time. The group of five and the ten soldiers, the pilot and co-pilot remaining behind to ensure the jet was properly taken care of and later moved to the proper base, were then escorted to the government bureau in the Tokyo Settlement.

"Welcome to Area Eleven, Your Highnesses."

The man who greeted them was a fairly large though slightly rotund man with dark skin and a bald head. He wore a blue-gray military uniform, very much unlike the black uniform with gold trim that Gino now sported alongside the soldiers behind him. The blonde Guard Captain recognized the man as General Bartley Asprius, head of the military and, with Prince Clovis's death, one of two men who now held all power in all of Area Eleven.

"My apologies for the lack of preparations for your arrival," added another man. He was taller and slimmer than his military counterpart, with an angular jaw and a long but trim moustache. Gino vaguely recognized him from the files as being one of the higher-ranked government officers, possibly the highest-ranked one, but, since he had focused on the military files, he couldn't recall the man's name off the top of his head. "We were expecting you to arrive a little later. We just need a little more time but the welcoming ceremony will proceed as scheduled."

Standing in two parallel lines behind the two most powerful men in Area Eleven - though not for long now that Lelouch had arrived - were officers who, most likely, worked under each respective man. The men to the right were dressed in military uniforms, while the men to the left were dressed in business attire. All of them, twenty altogether, were standing at attention, their eyes looking directly ahead at their counterparts.

The latter may not have been military, but they certainly knew how to behave in front of royalty.

"Welcoming ceremony?" asked Lelouch, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

Slightly behind his prince and to the right, just enough to see the expression on the prince's face, Gino couldn't help but feel the same way. A terrorist managed to assassinate the previous Viceroy while staging simultaneous raids on the less fortified military bases, across the entire country no less, and they were preparing for a party? He wasn't one to turn down a night of fun but to throw a party so soon?

He supposed he could see the advantages of doing so. By showing that they weren't panicking, the party _could_ reassure the nobility in Area Eleven, the most important of which would undoubtedly be invited to the party, that the government had everything under control. But surely they could have thought of a way to manage the peace without making them look so… carefree.

Discreetly glancing to the left, he caught the faint curiosity that was also present in Princess Euphemia's expression, though it was mixed with a bit of thoughtfulness. She stood slightly behind and to Lelouch's left, mirroring Gino's position. As the two who would be working directly under Lelouch, they were the ones who stood in front of the welcoming committee.

Standing apart from them to the right, were Princess Cornelia and her Knight. The princess, who was now wearing the magenta-colored military uniform she was often seen in, stood apart from Gino, Euphemia, and Lelouch to show that she was not there in any additional position of authority asides from her own.

Judging by the look on hers and her Knight's faces, it would seem they didn't approve of the party either. Probably the only reason she remained silent was because this was now Lelouch's battlefield, not hers as much as she may want to help.

"Yes, Your Highness," the man responded. "We felt it would be a good way to reassure the nobility that we have everything under control." Gino resisted the urge to grin victoriously at having correctly predicted their reasoning. "Moreover, it would give you the opportunity to meet with those who have helped support our cause over the years."

' _In short,'_ thought Gino, catching the judging look in the man's eyes, ' _The perfect opportunity to take Lelouch's measure and see how he stacks up to Clovis. Maybe even mine and Princess Euphemia's as well once they find out what our roles are gonna be.'_ Having come from a noble family himself, he was more than a little familiar with the politics that went on under the tables and behind closed doors. He couldn't say for certain what their goals were or what sort of relationship they had with the late Prince Clovis, but he had a feeling it didn't bode well for Lelouch.

Lelouch was younger and less well-known asides from his madness. Moreover, there was the fact that he was the son of the 'Commoner Empress'. Blood mattered when it came to Britannians. Prince though he may be, but having a single drop of commoner blood, never mind half of all his blood, was enough for many Britannians to look down on him. His madness didn't help, as it made it look like it was a result of not being a pure-blooded Britannian.

Gino resolved to look into the nobility in the Area. It may not have been his first choice of career, but he was now, for better or worse, Captain of Lelouch's Royal Guard. He was _not_ going to let anything untoward happen to his prince.

"I see, I see," Lelouch nodded, a hand on his chin and a pleasant smile on his face. "Yes, that certainly makes sense. I assume everyone important in Area Eleven has been invited then?"

Again, the man responded with the typical "Yes, Your Highness." Though Gino noted that his face looked a little less… critical. In fact, he seemed to be slightly more approving of Lelouch since the idea of the party had been accepted. Though judging by the look on the General's face, he didn't entirely agree with the party, or something to do with it. "In fact, all but a handful of the noble families in the Area will be in attendance, as well as many influential figures of our society."

"Wonderful!" Lelouch exclaimed with a clap of his hands while Gino resisted the urge to sigh. "Is it safe to assume, then, that our guest of honor has also agreed to come? Hmm?"

"Guest… of honor?" Not just the man, not just Gino and Cornelia, but every single man and woman in the room looked thoroughly confused. "I… beg your pardon, Your Highness. But would you happen to be referring to Duke Stryker? I believe he is the highest ranking noble in the Area, currently visiting his son if I remember correctly."

"Who?"

The man was clearly startled by the flippant and uncaring response and glanced around for help. Sadly, there would be none to be found. Seeing that he was obviously mistaken, the man stumbled over his words a bit and was clearly wracking his brain for a possible candidate. "I-If not, then perhaps you speak of Marquess Bolton or Baron Harper? Their many contributions to our glorious society has allowed us to-"

"Nope. Don't even know them."

For some reason, the man looked distinctly uncomfortable as he spoke the next name. "Then… perhaps you mean... Lord Ashford?" At the name, his discomfort began to make sense. Ashford was the family that once backed Empress Consort Marianne vi Britannia, even as far back as the time when she went by the name Marianne Lamperouge. After her death, the family lost their noble title... and more besides. "We… hadn't extended an invitation to them but if you wish, we could-"

"Ah, now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time," exclaimed Lelouch, looking up in thought. "I wonder how Milly is doing. Well, do send them an invitation. Make sure to let them know it's a personal invitation from me. At the very least, I want Milly and her grandfather present since I've been acquainted with them before."

"O-Of course, Your Highness." The man looked like he had swallowed an entire lemon. Or maybe two. He probably didn't enjoy the idea of inviting disgraced nobility. "I'll be sure to-"

"Still," interrupted the prince. "That doesn't answer my question. Can I expect our guest of honor to be present?"

Again, the man looked around, seeking aid from those in the room. General Asprius gave a nervous, minute shrug to show that he had no idea as well, while those behind them remained silent, equally ignorant of the desired answer. And yet, even those of Lelouch's party couldn't offer aid since even _they_ didn't know who Lelouch was talking about. But if Gino had to guess, a guess born from experience dealing with his less than mentally stable prince, he had to be talking about _him._

"You don't know?" Lelouch finally asked. The man before him looked a little panicked at being found out, but he seemed to calm down when he saw the kind smile that was still on the prince's face. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected of incompetents who allowed the previous Viceroy to be killed." The man grimaced but said nothing, though Gino caught the indignation in the man's eyes. "Still, I expect our guest of honor to be at the party tonight. Otherwise there _will_ be consequences."

"Y-Yes, Your Highness. But… i-if I might ask, _who_ exactly is the guest of honor?"

"Why, Zero of course!" Though he had been expecting exactly that, Gino _still_ couldn't help the wide-eyed look of surprise he gave the prince. The twenty men in the back all broke decorum and spun to face Lelouch as well with varying levels of shock and disbelief. Completely ignoring their reactions, Lelouch went on. "After such a spectacular showing I simply _must_ meet him. Or her," he suddenly amended. "Given what little we saw of Zero's figure in that broadcast they may very well be a woman masquerading as a man. Their figure was surprisingly slim."

"Z-Zero?" the man gasped out, Lelouch nodding at the man's attempt to make sure he had heard the young prince correctly. "B-b-but that's i-impossible!" the man exclaimed, his expression a strange cross between disbelief and outrage. "We… We can't invite the late prince's murderer into our midst, let alone among the entire nobility of Area Eleven! That would-"

A loud bang cut off the man's words and a familiar smell reached Gino's nose. But neither the sound nor the smell registered in the blonde's conscious mind. What _did_ register was the hole that suddenly appeared on the man's forehead. A hole that began to leak a familiar crimson liquid. But all that barely lasted a single second as the man fell backwards until his back hit the floor with a dull but heavy thud, blood leaking from the wound as his shocked yet lifeless eyes stared straight up to the ceiling.

At that moment, Gino found his eyes slowly turning to the gun that was now in Lelouch's hand. The gun that had fired the bullet that killed the man before them. The gun that Gino _knew_ belonged to him. There was no mistaking that long scratch that ran along practically the entire length of the slide. A scratch that his friend had purposely made to annoy Gino.

 _'When did he take it?'_ he had to ask himself. Better yet, _how_ did Lelouch take it without Gino noticing anything?

There was also the question of how he was using it. Any idiot can use a gun. But, with his military training, Gino could see things that the untrained would not have noticed, much less paid attention to. The way Lelouch was holding the gun, even in just one hand, and the way his stance had shifted to brace himself against the recoil hinted at proper training.

So the next question was, when did he train? _Who_ trained him? As far as Gino was aware, Lelouch had never been trained in the use of firearms. He knew because he had asked Anya when he saw the firing range.

King's Castle had an underground firing range yet everybody told him that Lelouch had that built with Cornelia in mind, and not for himself. Moreover, no one had ever seen him enter that room, never mind holding and firing a gun.

Even if he did, both the firing range and the small armory next to it had an alarm built into the doors. A precaution that Cornelia ordered them to install when she found out about the construction of the two rooms. Regardless of who entered, the moment the door was opened a silent alarm was sent to the security room. Even without the alarm, the doors were visible through the security cameras installed both outside _and_ inside the rooms. They would have known if Lelouch had entered either one for whatever reason. Even if it was just to peep into the room.

The next thought that came to mind was when he saw the look in Princess Euphemia's eyes. Swallowing, he turned in the opposite direction and saw the same look on the faces of Princess Cornelia and Sir Guilford.

It was a look of resignation.

They knew. Somehow they knew that Lelouch would pull something like this. Perhaps not right now, and perhaps not in this exact manner, if the slight look of surprise on Princess Euphemia's face was any indication, but they'd suspected all the same.

Why hadn't they warned him?

In the year he had worked for Lelouch, he had never once seen Lelouch do anything remotely like this. He had never so much as threatened to kill someone even as a joke. Yet their reactions were enough evidence that they suspected the possibility, perhaps even outright knew that he had shot someone before. Maybe even killed as well.

Then Gino remembered the words that Cornelia spoke to him just before they exited the jet. _"No matter what, keep any complaints and even looks of disapproval regarding Lelouch's actions behind closed doors."_

Was this why? If so, then he could certainly understand her reasons. Whether he agreed or disagreed with Lelouch's actions, they needed to show a united front in public. Showing surprise or shock was one thing, but any open division between them would need to be aired and settled where nobody else could see. They were in foreign territory, literally and figuratively. Here, the only allies they had were each other. Even Gino knew that much.

Not long after the body hit the ground, the ten who stood behind the deceased man exploded into panic, backing away and tripping over their own feet, one of them screaming about how the Mad Prince was going to kill them all. To their credit, the ten soldiers behind the General didn't react the same way, though they were now eyeing Lelouch nervously.

"Y-Your H-Highness," began the portly General, taking a nervous step forward. "Wh-what was-"

"First, he admitted that they hadn't been prepared for our arrival despite the fact that my Chamberlain had called ahead long before we even departed the homeland." Gino had to shudder at the levity in Lelouch's tone as well as the smile that was still present on his face. He, however, didn't fail to notice that Lelouch had been aware of Anya's actions. "Second, he claims to have invited _all_ the important people in Area Eleven and yet fails to invite _the_ most important guest of them all. And third, after correcting his ignorance and informing him of whom it was I was speaking of, he said he _couldn't_ do it."

"As far as I'm aware, that is three failures. Why, I was even gracious enough to not punish him for the first two or even the fact that he failed to protect my brother when was right next to him when he was killed." Even his manner of speaking about such a topic sent a chill down Gino's spine.

Was this… was this the true extent of Lelouch's madness? Or had it simply progressed in a short span of time? The latter was unlikely, but the former was not something he wanted to consider.

"Now then…"

Suddenly, Lelouch raised the gun and pointed it between Bartley's eyes. The man looked both apprehensive and afraid, and Gino could see the way his hand twitched over the pistol at his side. He didn't blame the man for his hesitance. Soldier he may be, but he was facing a member of the royal family. His instinctive desire to fight back against a threat was now warring with the ingrained lesson to serve and protect the royal family.

"Asides from your failure to protect my brother, I'm unaware of any mistakes on your part." The declaration lessened the General's worried, though the gun aimed at his head retained most of it. "But since being generous by letting two mistakes go didn't seem to work, I'll have to be much stricter."

"I'm unaware of how brother Clovis did things, but considering the fact that we have terrorists running around we can't be afford to be so lenient any longer. So here is how things will work from now on. The first time someone makes a mistake I will continue to be gracious and let it go without a word. Of course, if you are foolish enough to not even realize that you made a mistake then that is hardly my problem. Are you with me so far?"

Bartley nodded shakily, doing his best to meet the Prince's eyes and ignore the gun. "Y-Yes Your Highness."

"Good, good," he nodded with that same pleasant smile. The worst part, Gino decided, was the sincerity in Lelouch's eyes. The lips could fake a smile, but the eyes never lied. And Lelouch's eyes showed that he really was pleased at that moment. That, more than anything, scared Gino. "Now then, as for the second time... hm... let's go with disciplinary action. I will, of course, allow someone to defend their actions first but, if I find the explanation lacking, they will still be punished. The exact punishment will depend on the severity of their mistake but the punishment won't hinder their ability to work."

"As for a third mistake, well, I don't think I need to say it. We're all intelligent people here, yes?" Again, the General gave a shaky nod, no longer trusting his voice to give his opinion. "Good, good, I knew you were an intelligent man when I saw you. Now then."

Bartley flinched when Lelouch spun the gun around his fingers and presented the, grip first, to Gino. To the blonde's credit, he only stared at the gun in surprise for a split second before reaching up and taking it, double-checking the safety before returning it to the holster at his side.

"First, have someone clean up this mess. It's unsightly." Lelouch continued without delay. "Second, I expect the party will continue as scheduled. It would be a waste to cancel it now. Don't forget to send out my personal invitation to the Ashfords and to Zero. Broadcast the invitation, as well as the details of the party, on television if you have to." And to Bartley's credit, he didn't even look like he wanted to argue against that order. "Third, make sure to let everyone know of the change I've made with regards to issuing disciplinary action. And fourth, have someone take us to where we will be staying. I'd like to rest a bit before the party tonight."

"O-of course, Your Highness. I'll see to the first three personally." Bartley gave a brief bow then turned to the ten soldiers behind him. "You there," he pointed at the third soldier in the line. "Escort Their Highnesses to the Viceroy's Residence."

"Yes sir!"

Gino had to admit, the young man had steeled himself well after what he had just seen and heard, turning to them all with barely a flinch. As they were led away from the entrance hall of the government bureau, Gino couldn't help the two thoughts that surfaced in his mind at that very moment.

The first was a line from the book Lelouch had written. One that he had read out loud when he first opened it.

" _The most obvious method would be to boldly assert your authority in a way that leaves no doubt as to the power that you now wield over them."_

The second thought was only a little less serious than the first.

' _That's one way to do it.'_

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter everyone.**

 **With that, most of the background story has been filled in. Some won't be revealed until a bit later, but this should settle most of the more important ones.**

 **How did you all like the characters? I'm aware that it's not just Lelouch acting differently, but this is how I see them all behaving if circumstances were different. I'll do my best to keep each character's core personalities intact, but they obviously won't be the same as canon.**

 **As mentioned last chapter, Messiah's Legacy will continue to receive most of my attention when writing so this story won't be updated as often. I'll try not to let it go too long without an update but consistently writing chapters like this is time consuming in a lot of ways.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Please review and let me know what you think, especially with regards to the characters and the bit of world-building that I did.**

 **Thank you for reading everyone and I'll see you all next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **This is a work of fan fiction using characters and/or scenes from the anime/manga Code Geass. I do not, in anyway, claim ownership over the characters, the world, the story, or any other aspect of it. This story should not be, in any way, considered canon. This story is written strictly for entertainment and not for profit.**

 **Warning:** **This story will exhibit 'out of character' behavior on various levels though I will maintain their core personalities while adapting them to the story. If you don't like seeing your favorite characters act differently, then perhaps this story is not for you. I ask that you give it a chance but consider yourselves warned.**

* * *

 **Welcome back everyone. And here we (finally XD) have the second chapter of** **All's Fair in Love and Madness** **.**

 **Honestly, I was supposed to update this at least a month ago but my new job is a whole lot more stressful. Not because of the job itself, but because of the environment. I swear, I've never worked with a department full of people like this. Everyone is at least competent at their jobs and a few are very good at it, but half are lazy and keep putting things off until the second to the last minute, while the other half pretend to be better but can be just as lazy. Not to mention both sides talk behind the other side's backs despite, in their own words, 'being very good friends.'**

 **I'm surprised the department lasted this long with everyone behaving that way. -_-'**

 **On a brighter note… is that really how many reviews I got for the first chapter? That's more than my best chapter for** **Messiah's Legacy** **. O_O**

 **A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or favorite(d?) this story. I really appreciate every single one of them and I hope to earn more as the story continues, however erratically the updates may be.**

 **Still, it really brightened up my day whenever I saw a new review, follower and/or favorite(r?) in my email when I do my weekly check. I honestly didn't expect this story to be this big a hit. A part of me regrets having to update this so infrequently, but a much larger part of me is still much more inspired and motivated to work on** **Messiah's Legacy** **. It's at that point where I had to keep reminding myself, while writing this chapter, that I promised myself that I would update this story next and that I wouldn't switch over to updating the other story just because of writer's block.**

 **Yeah, I had a big bout of writer's block for this chapter. It's part of why it took so long for me to finish this chapter despite the not-so-long length.**

 **A~aanyway… I'm sure you've had enough of my rambling so I'll just let you get on with reading this long awaited chapter.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Welcome to Area Eleven**

 **October 26, 2019 A.T.B.**

Cornelia could feel the tension in her entire body with every step she took. In fact, she was well aware that she was growing even tenser with every single one of those steps. Far more than someone of her station normally had, all things considered. And it was all because of the black-haired young man walking not too far ahead of her.

At the head of their little procession was the soldier who had been chosen to lead them to Lelouch's new residence as Area Eleven's new Viceroy. Behind him were two of the soldiers who had come with Lelouch from Bellegarden's garrison. Next were Gino, Euphie, and Lelouch himself, the former two on the right and left-hand side of the latter and also just a step behind. A quartet of soldiers separated Lelouch's group from Cornelia and Guilford. And, finally, the remaining quartet of the ten Bellegarden soldiers followed from behind.

It wasn't Lelouch's earlier act that was bothering Cornelia, nor was it the fact that he had, once again, killed another man on a whim. While he had a point with his reasoning, Cornelia knew very well that her younger half-brother could have just as easily dismissed the man from his position if he wanted to. The decision to kill him was nothing more than just that, a whim.

It wasn't even the fact that he could use a gun so well. The way he handled the gun, from the moment he raised it to the moment he returned it to Weinberg, had been textbook perfect. So much so that she could already hear people talking about Lelouch having received training from her. It wasn't true, of course, but nobody knew that nor would they ever know. Given his new station, the knowledge that he had been trained by the Goddess of Victory, false though it may be, would deter a great number of any who sought to harm him.

And it wasn't even the fact that she would be leaving both her sister and half-brother in this country in two weeks or less. Very likely less in fact. Despite Cornelia's misgivings about having Euphie here, she knew that her younger sister truly was the one best suited to calming down the unruly and rebellious masses of Elevens. And Lelouch, despite everything, retained some measure of his intellect. They would also have Gino Weinberg on their side and, later, someone else she trusted with their lives.

No. What was worrying her was their current destination. This may be her first time setting foot in Area Eleven, but she had kept in semi-frequent contact with her late brother, Prince Clovis, before his death. Of all the stories he had told her, of all his works and accomplishments, one of them stood out in the forefront of her mind.

And, insignificant as it might have been at that time, it was that one little detail that caused her tension to grow the closer they came to their destination.

The brief elevator ride to the top of the Government Bureau was shorter than she would have liked despite the building's height. They didn't even have to go in groups since the elevator was large enough to include at least two dozen soldiers. Then again, she supposed those were the perks that came with using an elevator reserved for the Viceroy and members of the royal family, both of which Lelouch qualified for.

When the doors slid open, they were met by the sight of a drab gray hallway which ended with wooden double doors. And when those were opened, the entire group found themselves walking into what seemed to be the entrance hall of a large house.

It was very much Britannian in design. Not to mention the various bits and pieces of décor that Cornelia could only attribute to Clovis's lavish and unique tastes. Flowers of various sorts in vases, hand-carved furniture with intricate details, paintings by his own hand and not, fine drapery and carpets, and even a small bust of himself off to one side.

With a restrained sigh, she supposed that she shouldn't complain. After all, this place had been Clovis's home since he was made Viceroy of Area Eleven and the man had always had an eye for art, not that she understood the appeal. Besides which, Euphie seems to like the décor and Lelouch didn't seem to mind.

"This door leads outside, right?"

The innocent question from Lelouch caused Cornelia to freeze, the sound of her heartbeat growing both louder and faster as she tensed completely. Everything in her line of sight faded away with only Lelouch and the door in question remaining. The second princess twitched forward then stopped even before she barely moved. Her eyes then strayed over to her brother's blonde Royal Guard Captain as her earlier thought came to mind.

She wasn't going to be in Area Eleven long. Just barely long enough to assist Lelouch in establishing the beginning of his rule as Viceroy. Two weeks was hardly enough for such a task, especially given how the now deceased man had tried to probe Lelouch prior to his death. Given that short time frame, it was all the more important that Weinberg adapt quickly to his responsibilities, both new and old.

And, unfortunately, that meant letting what could very well be a disastrous event take place within the next minute or two so that he could see for himself what he was getting into.

With a heavy sigh of disgust, both at herself and the situation, Cornelia let her arm, which had only risen a tiny fraction of an inch, return to its original position. At the same time, Lelouch's arms rose to grasp the handles of the double sliding doors, the view to the outside obscured by curtains that the prince didn't bother to push aside.

Cornelia's heart thundered as the door slid open, light suddenly streaming into the room as the eleventh prince stepped through the doors without a single pause. Everyone else followed, the trio of Cornelia, Euphie, and Guilford taking the rear.

Yet, despite her worries, no loud or sudden sounds came from beyond the doors, whether from Lelouch or his entourage. Following outside, the trio found the larger group glancing around and admiring the scenery before them. And seeing that everything was fine, Euphie couldn't help but relax and do the same.

Cornelia, however, couldn't help but continue to worry. Even so, she took a moment to look around as well.

The garden was, in a single word, breathtaking. Even a soldier like Cornelia could appreciate the sight, and she could only marvel at the effort that went into its creation and care. But anyone who knew the second princess well enough would have noticed a strange gleam in her eyes as she took in the view before her.

In fact, that same could have been said of Euphie's eyes, though the younger sister was much more expressive as it was reflected on her face as well.

"It…" Cornelia glanced at Euphie as her younger sibling began to speak, her voice just the slightest bit shaky. "It's really… Brother Clovis… he…"

Cornelia wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders even as the younger sibling did her best to hold in her tears. While few would blame her, this was not the proper time and place to mourn their brother and they both knew it. "He certainly outdid himself."

Euphie nodded, blinking away her unshed tears. "It really does resemble the garden of Aries Villa."

Or at least, Cornelia mused, it resembled the part of the garden that was the most visited.

While the garden of the once famed Aries Villa was far larger compared to the smaller one situated atop Area Eleven's Government Bureau, the vi Britannia family and those close to them often spent time within a section of the garden closer to the villa itself. And while Clovis did not have an eidetic memory, he had a near-perfect memory for beauty and the arts.

And that skill was evident in the way he recreated the perfect recreation of that one little section of Aries Villa's garden. From the placement of the trees and shrubs, to the fountain where Cornelia once remembered Lelouch falling into while playing with a young Nunnally and Euphie, to the table and chairs where Lady Marianne would sit drinking tea while watching the children play. Even the types of plants present were, to the best of her knowledge, exactly the same.

Anyone who saw the garden might have believed they had truly stepped into the Aries Imperial Villa, home of the vi Britannia family.

And yet…

"Sister," whispered Euphie, causing Cornelia to turn her gaze on her sister. As she did, their eyes met, showing mutual concern for, most likely, the same thing. "He's not…"

Once again, the younger of the two siblings did not need to finish her statement as Cornelia turned to the object of their interest. There, looking around with wide eyes and a placid smile on his face, was the new Viceroy of Area Eleven, looking around at the garden as though it was his first time seeing in.

Though, she supposed it was true to an extent. Lelouch had never once seen this particular garden. But… was that it? He couldn't possibly have forgotten about Aries Villa completely.

Or had he?

An interesting, yet highly disturbing, line of thought crossed Cornelia's mind. A thought that she did not want to entertain yet found herself doing so all the same. Could Lelouch have forgotten about Aries Villa already?

It wasn't entirely impossible that his act of arson on the residence in question was a result of wanting to eliminate any reminders of the painful memory associated with the place. But could that same desire have caused Lelouch to somehow block certain parts of his memories as well? She was no doctor, but she had heard of such things happening when people undergo traumatic experiences.

That question, however, begged another. What _else_ could Lelouch have blocked out?

"Your highness."

Her Knight's voice pulled her away from her depressing thoughts, and Cornelia realized that everyone else, save for Euphie, was already stepping through the doors back into the Viceroy's residence. She shook off their concern with a shake of her head. She was not the most knowledgeable when it came to such matters so pondering over it would do little. She did, however, resolve to speak with a qualified professional about that possibility when she had the chance to do so.

With that in mind, she followed the rest of the group as their guide led them through a proper tour of the residence.

And it was exactly as Cornelia had expected. Exceptionally grandiose and luxurious, even by royalty's standards. And if not for one specific residence, she would have said that Clovis's home – though technically the home of whoever Area Eleven's Viceroy was – was the most opulent of all the royal children's, despite its relatively small size. Unfortunately for her late brother, Lelouch's King's Castle in Bellegarden took that title. Even above that of the Emperor's own residence.

Once the tour was over, their guide left to return to his regular duties, leaving their group to their own devices.

"Well," Lelouch began with a bright smile and a quick clap of his hands, "I'm going to get ready for the party tonight. I'll see you all in a few hours."

Even as the prince left alongside the head of his Royal Guard, everyone could see the barely hidden expression of exhaustion and exasperation on the blonde's face. And neither Cornelia nor Euphemia, nor Guilford and the ten Bellegarden soldiers could blame him. Anything that brought a bright smile to Lelouch's face most likely meant trouble for someone. And that someone was usually Gino, who, asides from being right at the center of it all, had to clean up after whatever shenanigans his patron decided to pull.

With barely any delays, the ten soldiers, directed by the one left in charge in Gino's absence, went about their duties of securing the premises. Seat of the government it may be, but the Government Bureau, and the residence on top by extension, was not necessarily safe. Especially not in light of recent events.

That left the two princesses and one Knight in the room.

"He probably doesn't remember, does he?"

Cornelia sighed internally, having known that Euphie would ask about that sooner or later. "It doesn't seem so, no," came her frank response. "Though a part of me wonders whether it may actually be better this way."

Despite her outward cringe at the thought, Euphie would never openly admit that the same thought briefly crossed her mind earlier. While it was, in some ways, kinder for Lelouch to not connect the garden outside to the garden of his childhood, it also brought another thought to mind. One that, unbeknownst to Euphie, mirrored her sister's earlier thoughts. What else does he not remember?

Just then, a panicked scream ripped through the air. Both Cornelia and Guilford were running towards the source barely a second after the sound reached their ears, years of training and experience causing that near instantaneous reaction even before they consciously registered the sound as a scream.

The clomping of many more boots joined theirs not too long afterwards along with the lighter, but no less rushed, clacking of Euphie's heels. Both groups caught sight of one another along the hallway leading to the stairs and, despite Guilford's urging for her to do otherwise, found themselves led to their destination by Cornelia herself.

The screaming continued as they approached, growing louder and more frantic as they neared the source. A source which Cornelia had already identified from the beginning.

The double doors that stood in their way didn't even slow Cornelia down as she forced it open with her shoulder, regardless of the fact that it hadn't even been locked in the first place. The scene that greeted her as the doors flew open, slamming against the walls with a deafening bang, was exactly as she had expected.

"NO! NOOOO! GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM ME! MOTHEEEEEEEEEERRRR! NUNNALLYYYYYYY!"

To her right, madly scrambling away from unseen phantoms despite having his back already to the wall, was Lelouch, screaming madly at whatever vision his eyes were seeing. His hands waved frantically in the air, warding off a nightmare or, perhaps, illusory assailants.

"Y-your highness, please calm down! There's nothing there!"

And standing nearby, his posture a mix of concern, wariness, and uncertainty, was Gino. His hands were raised in a placating gesture and, now and then, cautiously moved forward as though wanting to reach out to calm his prince only to flinch away a heartbeat later. Cornelia certainly couldn't fault him for his hesitation. Not with the way things were.

And to her left, directly across from Lelouch, was the source of his distress. A portrait.

Now, Cornelia was no artist, nor did she have an eye for art appraisal, but she _did_ have a keen eye for detail and a very good memory to go with it. And one thing immediately stood out to her the moment her eyes landed on the portrait or, rather, the painting. The artist.

This particular portrait was one that was painted by her late brother, Clovis la Britannia. How could she possibly not recognize it? There, peeking out of the picture frame on lower right-hand corner, was a tiny streak of pink paint. And on the opposite corner was a bright yellow streak. Neither was large enough to be eye-catching despite being placed over the painted image of green grass, but those who took even the slightest moment to examine every inch of the painting would no doubt see it.

She could still remember how and why those two streaks of paint got on the painting. After all, she was there that day, standing watch over the Empress Marianne and her two children as they posed for Clovis in the garden of Aries Villa.

Milly Ashford, the young daughter of Jonathan Ashford, son of Ruben Ashford, a former Marquess, thought it would be a good idea to add more color to the nearly finished painting. All it took was a pair of fingers dipped in sunny yellow paint and smeared across one corner of the canvas.

Soon, Clovis was busy chasing after the golden-haired hellion for ruining his, at that time, greatest masterpiece, watched in mixed amusement and concern by all those around. Then, unseen by all, a young Euphie also thought it would be a good idea to do the same. Only this time, it was done with fingers dipped in pink paint.

Cornelia hadn't been sure who to scold at that time. Euphie, for the obvious reason, or Clovis, for scaring Euphie with his yelling. In the end, Marianna had settled the matter, calming down the irate prince and telling him that, to her at least, the two additions to the painting were not necessarily undesirable.

Anyone with even half a mind could tell that those words did little to please the artist prince but, considering that the painting was commissioned by Marianne herself, there was little he could do. Last Cornelia heard, Clovis was planning on using a wide-bordered frame in order to cover up the two streaks of paint. But then _that_ fateful day came before he could do so.

Seeing that the frame did not completely cover up the paint as he had intended, she supposed some part of Clovis wanted to keep it visible, even if only slightly, as a reminder of those happy days.

Unfortunately, at the moment the painting was doing little to remind people of happier moments.

"Lelouch, calm down."

Cornelia knelt down next to her frantic half-brother, one arm raised to shield herself from his flailing arms. The other arm desperately wanted to reach out to comfort him but experience was a bitter and harsh teacher. In this case, she knew that sudden physical contact would only aggravate the situation. The fact that his hands and arms making contact with her one arm did not was already a blessing.

"It's not real," she continued to say amidst Lelouch's screaming, her tone far more gentle than any other time outside of speaking with Euphie. She glanced meaningfully at the blonde young man and waving him back with her free arm. He took a few steps back but kept a close eye on the situation. "Nobody here is going to hurt you. You're safe."

It took a few more minutes of softly whispered words, but eventually the prince's screaming died down and his flailing ceased. The others approached hesitantly, though the soldiers and Guilford remained on guard should anything else happen. Still, only Cornelia remained close to the distraught prince with Gino and Euphie just barely out of arm's reach.

It was only when Lelouch's body went slack, his head lolling back to lean against the wall and his arms falling limp by his side that the other two approached, though not without any trepidation. His violet eyes, which had been focused on something only he could see, now focused on each of them in turn, reflecting the weariness he felt from his ordeal.

A single word slipped past his lips, a barely audible whisper, before his eyes fell shut and he lost consciousness.

"Sis… ter…"

* * *

It didn't take long for the medic on the squad to declare Lelouch healthy. Physically speaking at least. He suffered no physical wounds but the ordeal no doubt left him exhausted and would require rest. Unfortunately, his personal physician and the doctor who normally attended to Lelouch due to his condition were still in Marion's hospital, making the necessary arrangements for their transfer to Area Eleven. The appointment to Viceroy and his departure had been quite sudden after all.

As such, any in-depth evaluation of Lelouch's mental state would, unfortunately, have to wait at least another day. Two at most.

For now, all they could do was put Lelouch to bed, hide away the painting responsible for his current state, and wait.

The eight soldiers, the medic and one other staying behind just in case, went to secure the premises, checking the rooms and the surrounding areas in case the local forces missed anything. The two princesses, the knight, and the guard captain, were in the office across from Lelouch's new room. Incidentally, the same office where the incident occurred and the same office where Lelouch would be working when he was not in the Viceroy's office.

The air was heavy with tension, and not just from recent events. Gino was busy looking back and forth between Cornelia and the door. Eventually, his gaze settled on the princess. "Was this what you meant earlier on the plane, your highness?" he asked carefully. "That there were some things I would have to see for myself?"

"In addition to what happened earlier, yes." Cornelia didn't hesitate at all when she spoke, though the blonde could see the weariness in her eyes even though neither her face nor posture showed it. "From what I know, the things you've been exposed to this past year of service to my brother were all relatively minor compared to what you've just seen. And now you've borne witness to two such events."

"So it's happened before." It was more a statement than a question, but the query was still present.

"He's killed two people before," Cornelia answered with a straight face, though Euphie cringed at the reminder of her brother's actions. "This was, however, the first time he's used a gun to do it. And as surprising as it is, part of me is saying I shouldn't be surprised he somehow managed to learn how to handle a gun without anyone knowing." The fact that she didn't seem to think Gino had anything to do with it was a very good sign for him. "More surprising is that he did it in the open this time."

Gino was confused by that last statement, and he made his confusion known. "You mean nobody knew it was him the other two times?"

"We knew it was him," admitted the second princess, "But there was no evidence. Multiple people had the means of staging those deaths like an accident, and multiple people had a motive to do so. On of that list of suspects, however, only Lelouch would be bold enough to actually do it. More importantly, he didn't deny it when I asked him, though he didn't exactly say that he was the one responsible either. If not for that, even I might have believed that both deaths were merely accidents that, coincidentally, occurred after events that garnered someone's ire."

"Perhaps it's because he is, technically, within his rights to do so in this case," offered Guilford, drawing the attention of the other three in the room. "Even ignoring the fact that he is a prince, as the Viceroy, as well as the fact that he was, again technically, wronged three times, he had more than ample reason to kill the man."

That was both relieving and troubling for Gino to hear. The first was obvious, as it meant nobody could question Lelouch's actions nor could they openly act against him for what he did. Not that they even could, openly or otherwise, without eventually having to deal with the Emperor at some point in time, one way of another. The second, however, was because that one fact drove home just how much harder he needed to work to keep up with the prince.

"In addition," continued Cornelia, unaware of Gino's current line of thought, "This is the fourth time he's suffered an attack like you just witnessed. And as far as we're aware, it's triggered by things related to his past. Specifically, his home and his family."

"His home?" Gino parroted back with a thoughtful yet confused look on his face. "But wasn't the garden supposedly modeled after-"

"Aries Villa, yes," cut in the princess with a nod. "I was just as surprised when nothing happened earlier. Surprised, but still grateful." She sighed. "I just didn't expect Clovis to have that painting in the office."

"The painting I understand, but why not the garden?" asked the blonde, his thoughts running at full speed to try and make sense of the contradiction. "I know Prince Lelouch grew up at the Aries Imperial Villa, and the garden outside is well known enough that I heard about it even back in the homeland. It's said to be a perfect replica even though it was recreated from memory."

"It is," confirmed Cornelia. "As for why, I can only guess. But if I'm right, then it's possible that Lelouch has blocked out the memory of Aries Villa from his mind, possibly as a way of forgetting the memories attached to it."

"But why just the villa?" The question came from Euphie, who was gazing down at her lap with a contemplative expression. "I wouldn't want Lelouch to forget about Lady Marianne or Nunnally, but why forget the villa and not them?"

Cornelia sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping down ever so slightly. "That's probably something that we'll never figure out." Then, as though remembering something, her eyes lit up and turned back to Gino. "That reminds me. Speaking of forgetting things, don't bother mentioning what happened to Lelouch. He won't remember any of it."

"He… what?" Gino was certain he looked as completely dumbfounded as he felt.

"He won't remember any of it," Cornelia repeated patiently, clearly understanding the blonde's confusion. "He didn't remember what happened the first time, nor did he remember the two that came after that. I doubt things will be different now."

All of a sudden, Gino suddenly debated the merits of taking the jet back to Marion and switching jobs with Anya. Anya who, in less than half a year after her arrival, had successfully stepped into her role while he, in a year, was still floundering about and trying to keep up with his duties. It was mainly those that were tied directly to Lelouch that gave him difficulties but, considering he was by his prince's side practically every second of the day, there wasn't much in the way of responsibilities _not_ tied directly to the eleventh prince.

It was no exaggeration, at least in his mind, that Anya would have been, without a doubt, the better choice to accompany Lelouch to Area Eleven.

Unfortunately, Gino was the Royal Guard Captain while Anya was the Head Chamberlain. That, alone, meant that it was his responsibility to keep their prince safe while she maintained his household and, on occasions when he was away such as now, his territories.

Idly, he wondered how much easier her job had become now that she did not have to deal with Lelouch's… eccentricities on a daily basis.

Pulling his thoughts back to the here and now, he wondered, once again, if he really was suited for his current position. He was young, roughly the same age as the prince he served. He was inexperienced, while there were dozens of men and women in the provincial garrison, including the ten soldiers who had accompanied them to Area Eleven, who were far more experienced when it came to military and martial matters. He was still adjusting to serving a prince who acted on the slightest whim, while there were many who were no doubt used to doing so already, including some, if not all, of the soldiers with them.

Unfortunately, it wasn't his decision to make. Not anymore. Not since he signed the contract that essentially employed him as Prince Lelouch vi Britannia's Royal Guard Captain. It was something that even Princess Cornelia had resigned herself to on that fateful day that Lelouch had, essentially, 'stolen' him from the Emperor.

In her own words, _"You may as well get used to having things like this happening on a daily basis. Even if it's not happening to you."_

Before the conversation could proceed any further, a knock came on the door followed by a male voice. "Pardon me, but I thought you would all like to know that his highness is awake." There was a strange, knowing tone in the man's voice. One that told everyone in the room that the prince in question was, already, up to something again.

With a resigned sigh – Gino noted that he was the only one who did – he rose from his seat, straightened out his uniform, and proceeded to the door. The contents of the conversation weighed heavily on him but there was little that could be done about it. All he could do now, like it or not, was bear with it and adapt.

Just like he always did.

* * *

They really didn't think it would be that easy.

But looking back, they really should have known it really _was_ going to be this easy.

If there was one thing they knew well, it was the arrogance of Britannian royalty. And, right at that very moment, it would seem that that same arrogance was playing in their favor once again.

" **-ssin Zero has been invited to attend tonight's ball to welcome the new Viceroy of Area Eleven, hand-picked by his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Charles zi Britannia himself. This is-"**

" **-at is our new Viceroy planning with this bold, or perhaps foolish, move? Even a fool like Zero could easily see though such a transparent sche-"**

" **-annians of Area Eleven could very well riot once word of our new Viceroy's invitation spreads. What could have possibly made him think that inviting Area Eleven's currently most wanted man wou-"**

" **-pected of the Mad Prince. His Majesty must surely be setting his 'son' up to fail, perhaps even perish, since it's become quite clear that whatever malady he has doesn't seem to be fading. Why, reliable sources state that the prince ha-"**

The voices of various newscasters from an equal number of news stations as well as a handful of radio stations echoed throughout the dark room, multiple monitors displaying the news as it interrupted nearly every single television channel and every radio broadcast that was scheduled at that moment. Yet despite the variety, only a single piece of news could be heard.

Prince Lelouch vi Britannia's welcoming party and the prince's personal invitation to Zero, the man who had killed his elder half-brother and former Viceroy of Area Eleven, Prince Clovis la Britannia, not too long ago.

Black-gloved fingers moved and were intertwined just as black-clad elbows rose and settled on the desk, the clasped hands forming a steeple in front of the shadowed figure's face. Though the light of the monitors illuminated their face, no features were truly visible. A mirror-lensed visor covered their eyes while a black balaclava covered the rest of their facial features.

"I didn't think they would send _him_ , of all people, to Area Eleven," mused the black-clad figure, their voice soft and muffled by both the balaclava and their hands. "I expected to face the Goddess of Victory next, perhaps even the White Prince. But the Mad Prince? I don't know whether this simplifies or complicates things."

Just then, a knock came from the door behind them. Eight knocks to be precise, sounding off with a pattern known only to a select few. Interlaced fingers separated and picked up the helmet at the corner of the desk, moving it up and above their head then lowering. Seconds later, the helmet's internal mechanisms clicked as the back of the mask was locked into place, preventing the mask from falling off or being removed by accident.

One hand went to the keyboard and tapped a few keys, a brief, high-pitched beep coming from the door after doing so. "Enter," spoke the figure, their voice not only further distorted by the mask, but also by a voice modulator built into it. The voice that came from the mask's speakers was not only robotic in nature, but a blend of a male and a female voice, the pitch fluctuating with every syllable to further disguise the original voice.

"Pardon the intrusion," a muffled voice spoke in response from behind the doors just before it slid open. Light streamed into the room from the hallway for the brief moment the door was open, which was then cut off when the door slid shut once the person outside stepped into the room.

"What is it?" asked the figure in front of the desk, not even bothering to turn around.

"Zero-sama," began the newcomer, their voice that of a young woman, firm and determined but laced with concern. "I don't know if it's my place to say but… a lot of people are concerned about the news of the new Viceroy's invitation." Despite her first words, there was very little hesitation as she spoke her concerns. But if the previous Viceroy's assassin was offended, they didn't show it. "It's obviously a trap and everyone knows it, but after that it's divided. A lot of people think you're planning on attending, or crashing, the party to kill the new Viceroy regardless. Others think you'll wait for a better, less risky, chance. A few are saying that yo-"

"What about you?"

The question, or perhaps just the interruption in general, seemed to catch the speaker off guard as she stumbled with her words. "Uh… wh-what? M-me?" No confirmation came, but she understood what it meant regardless. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, and a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking. "I… I think you're planning on going."

"Is that so?" There was no inflection in Zero's tone, no indication at all as to whether or not the young woman's opinion was correct.

"You…" She took another moment to calm her hammering heart, a natural reaction – to her at least – to speaking with their group's masked leader. "You wouldn't have been able to pull off Clovis's assassination, or the simultaneous raids on multiple military bases if you were the kind of person to hide away from danger. Even before that, nobody but you was bold enough to not only assassinate him in broad daylight, but also by yourself."

"I think that, even if this invitation is a trap, you could probably find some way to turn it to your advantage and take out the new Viceroy. Even if you can't, I'm confident you'll find some way to make it work to our advantage, elsewhere if not at the party itself."

Her words faded away into the silence, only the news reports echoed through the room but, with the volume lowered, it was nothing more than a faint droning in the background. Just as she was about to speak once again, the chair before her spun around, the masked figure rising smoothly to their feet.

The beating of her heart grew stronger and more frantic than before. Despite working with – or perhaps working for would be a more appropriate term – the masked assassin for more than a handful of years now, the young woman was still greatly intimidated by them. She knew they wouldn't hurt her. Not unless she did something to deserve it. After all, more than once Zero had shown that they truly valued those who worked under them.

From the second-in-command, to their various division and section leaders, down to the maintenance and cleaning crew, each and every single one of them was greatly valued by Zero. And their leader made sure that all of them understood that.

However, it was precisely for that reason that they knew just how much they were valued. And none of them wanted to be seen as worthless, considering what it would mean for them.

Regardless, however, there was something about Zero that made her nervous at the mere thought of approaching them. Something that almost terrified her at the thought of _speaking_ to them. It wasn't anything that she, or anyone else who felt that way for that matter, could put into words. The best thing she came up with was what she told her former leader.

" _I feel like I'm standing in front of someone who's beyond us. Someone, or something, that isn't human. Like some greater being able to see into my very soul."_

And here she was, once again standing in front of their seemingly inhuman leader, feeling like a criminal about to face judgement. She almost flinched when Zero chuckled, the voice modulator giving their amusement a dark undertone. "It seems you've come to know me quite well."

Then the moment passed as Zero walked past her, the door sliding open as the room's owner approached it. The footsteps paused, and Zero spoke once again. "Gather in the meeting room in half an hour. We'll need to work quickly if we're to arrive to the party on time."

It took her a few seconds to process the meaning behind their words. When she did, she spun around and snapped to attention. "Sir!" There was a noticeably gleeful tone in her voice, most of it held back by the discipline that Zero had personally trained into many of them. Yet there was nothing holding back the predatory grin that spread across her face at the thought of crashing – was it still considered that if they were invited? – the Viceroy's welcoming party.

"In addition, I have an important role for you," continued Zero, seemingly ignoring her joyful tone. "One that will require the aid of your alter ego."

Her joy was immediately dashed as a brief expression of distaste flashed across her features. She promptly and swiftly stomped it down, responding and nodding resolutely in response. She may not like it, but this was Zero who was asking. For Zero, and Zero alone, she would do anything.

* * *

This was Lelouch who was asking. For Lelouch, and Lelouch alone, he would do anything.

At least, that's how it was supposed to go when dealing with royalty. Especially for someone like him who _wasn't_ royalty himself. In this particular situation, however…

"No."

"But Gino you'd-"

"No."

"But I-"

"No."

"But…"

A sharp, exasperated sigh cut through their argument, if it could even be called that. Both young men turned and found Cornelia, dressed in her military dress uniform, which was of the same color as her usual uniform but with a more formal trim and aesthetic. Next to her were Euphie and Guilford, the former wearing a pale pink ball gown while the latter was in his own set of military clothing, ones that matched Cornelia's colors as her Knight. And, like Cornelia and Guilford, Gino was dressed in his own black uniform with gold trim with accents of dark purple here and there.

It was hard to say, however, if Cornelia's from was from being forced to wear the formal attire or from Lelouch's delays. After all, everyone who knew her was well aware of her dislike for pomp and circumstance.

Lelouch, however…

"Please don't." While the words themselves were a request, Cornelia's tone and expression made it more of a demand.

"But Cornelia~aa." To Gino's surprise, Lelouch managed to pull off quite the childish pout to accompany his whining tone. "It's a party."

"One that you won't be attending in _that._ " Cornelia sighed once again, allowing her annoyance to bleed out through her breath rather than through her words or, worse, her actions. "This party, as we were told earlier, is to give you the chance to meet the important personnel of Area Eleven. Or, at the very least, those who can attend. All things considered, at least half of those people should be in attendance tonight."

"Regardless of whether or not your interests align," she continued sternly, glaring slightly at Lelouch when he made to speak, "It would be much more favorable for you to meet with them and come to some measure of compromise, either tonight or in the future. Just by being who you are, you already have practically an entire nation as an enemy. There is no need to make enemies of those who should, or could, be your allies, even if only until the greater threat is eliminated."

The slight glare deepened as a scowl appeared to match it. "And dressing up as a court jester _isn't_ going to help things at all."

Again, Lelouch pouted like a child being denied their favorite toy or sweet. In all honesty, Gino found it amusing given the prince's bright and, literally, foolish clothing. Of course, he was more than adept at keeping his expression neutral, save for some mild exasperation, while the elder princess dealt with her younger sibling in ways Gino himself could only hope to one day be capable of.

Sure enough, in less than fifteen minutes, the second princess manage to get Lelouch into proper clothing where Gino had been arguing with him for nearly a full hour. All four of them carefully examined Lelouch's clothing, making sure that he was completely presentable on all counts. After a minute, all four nodded, satisfied that the teenage prince would pass any and all inspections by the nobles.

Now all they had to do was get him to behave.

* * *

' _Behave? Really? What the hell was I thinking?'_

Had Gino been capable of it, he would have slapped his past-self upside the head for being unrealistically optimistic. Instead, he just settled for groaning while resisting the urge to smash his head against the nearest wall. Repeatedly.

They hadn't even entered the hall where the welcoming party was being held and, already, Lelouch was giving him, and undoubtedly Princess Cornelia, a massive headache. Normally, this was the point where one of them gave the prince a stern talking to while simultaneously heading off any other troublesome acts.

Unfortunately, Lelouch wasn't there to be given a stern talking to. And _that_ was the problem.

Gino gave another passing nobleman a courteous nod as they passed one another in the hallway. Once he was out of the nobleman's line of sight, the blonde's eyes quickly darted left and right and left again as he scoured the hallways for the wayward prince. He cursed when another hallway, along with another half-dozen rooms, failed to reveal the prince. He dearly hoped that Guilford and the other soldiers were having better luck.

More than that, he hoped that Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia, who had gone ahead to the party, could keep the nobles busy long enough that they wouldn't realize that Lelouch was more than just fashionably late to his own welcoming party.

That had certainly been an amusing thought when Cornelia herself proposed the plan. At least, while the amusement lasted. The Goddess of Victory playing the part of the decoy. Oh, Gino knew that the Field Marshall had used herself as bait in many battles and campaigns, but to do so at a party? Had it been for anybody other than Lelouch, he was certain that Cornelia would have killed them the moment they were found.

Then again… No, that was not a thought he should ever consider.

Gino quietly chastised himself for even considering the near impossibility of Cornelia killing Lelouch. He may be annoying at times, and even downright infuriating at some, but the Royal Guard Captain knew that the second princess loved her brother dearly. Else, why would she spend so much time looking after him?

If she were after Lelouch's, or rather Bellegarden's, fame and financial capability then she would simply have to take it. Lelouch may have been their patron, but it was Cornelia's hard work that put Marion and Bellegarden on the map, so to speak. And if the province's loyalty still leaned towards her younger brother, then she was more than capable of taking it by force. And, considering the eleventh prince's reputation as both the Mad Prince and the son of the Commoner Empress, Cornelia may even be praised for ridding the Empire of what most perceived to be a weak link in the royal family.

It was no secret that the provinces granted to each of the many royal siblings was a test. If they were unable to manage even a single scrap of territory then how could they possibly be trusted with running an entire empire?

In fact, many even likened it to a scaled-down form of Britannia's goal of global conquest. Just as the Empire aimed to conquer the entire world by taking over territories that do not yet belong to it, it was also possible for a prince or princess to conquer the entire Empire by taking control of territories that belong to their siblings and, eventually, their sire.

 _How_ they do it, of course, was another matter entirely.

If the Empire had to slaughter tens of thousands of soon-to-be Numbers, then so be it. That just meant a decrease in the 'lesser races'. But if a member of royalty were to slaughter fellow Britannians, simply to claim a piece of Britannian soil, then they can expect to lose support even amongst the nobility. Even if those killed were commoners, Britannian blood is Britannian blood. The blood of the superior race. Spilling a single drop of it without proper cause was an unspoken taboo.

Either way, it was one of the many threats that Gino had sworn to protect Lelouch from. Thankfully, they pretty much had Cornelia on their side if anything should happen. Just the thought of going up against Cornelia, whether during or after any fight for Bellegarden province, was a powerful deterrent even against their fellow princes and princesses.

Now if only he could find the person he was supposed to be protecting.

* * *

The sound of rushing air reached his ears as he took a deep breath of the crisp, night air of Area Eleven. He held his breath for a brief moment before releasing it all in one go, opening his eyes at that same moment to take in the sight before him.

The night lights of the Tokyo Settlement were nothing truly special. The arrangement was different, but one city was just like any other. Despite the number of lights, or even the absence of, no city ever truly slept. The Tokyo Settlement was no different.

Even if all the lights were to disappear, anyone with even a modicum of intelligence could tell that the absence of lights did not mean an absence of life or action. Underneath all the switched off lights and locked doors were countless unseen events whose repercussions would, more often than not, only come to light with the coming of a new day. And, sometimes, only years later without anyone realizing the truth until it was far too late.

None of that, however, mattered to the young man who stood on the guard rail of the balcony, rocking back and forth and seemingly uncaring that the slightest mistake could send him hurtling down hundreds of meters to the ground below. From this height, not too far from the top of the government bureau, a fall like that would, at best, cripple him in some manner or, at worst, result in the loss of life.

Then again, some would say that death was the better option while being crippled, possibly for life and possibly in constant never-ending agony, was the worst-case scenario.

Regardless of his possible fate should he shift his weight too much in the wrong direction, the young man continued rocking himself back and forth, a peaceful smile on his face as a soft, gentle wind caressed his face and blew through his raven locks.

"Oh my, that looks quite dangerous."

As though to provide more reason to justify their words, Lelouch spun around on his heel to face the speaker. And if it wasn't enough to do so, he spun around twice, one foot raised off the rail high enough to show that he was doing so on only a single leg.

But contrary to the spoken words, the tone was quite playful and, once the prince spun around to face them with a smile on his face, a pair of gloved hands rose to give him one-man applause. Or rather, a one-woman applause.

"You're quite the daredevil aren't you?" asked the young woman, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

"I aim to please," Lelouch responded with a deep yet still playful bow, all the while managing to keep his balance on the guard rail. He straightened up then hopped off the rail, taking a moment to look over the two newcomers as he approached them where they stood, just past the large double doors.

The first one, the one who had spoken, was a cheerful looking young woman with straight black hair falling to her waist, blue eyes twinkling with amusement as she giggled at the young man's lighthearted acts. The royal purple dress she wore was far simpler than most people attending the party would be wearing – especially considering that only nobles would be in attendance – but it did well to flatter her generally slim figure.

The second, who had been silent the entire time, was as dour as her companion was cheerful. Her shoulder length brown hair was in a braided ponytail and green eyes frowned in what looked to be contempt just as her lips were pursed tightly in disapproval and, perhaps, to keep herself from commenting openly. Another contrast to her companion was her full and curvaceous figure, wrapped tightly in a shimmering green dress that seemed to have been designed to emphasize each and every curve of her body.

Both young women looked to be about his age and, from what he could see, were unaccompanied. Unless they, like him, had decided to slip away from their minders.

"So what brings two exquisitely beautiful young women down this way?" he asked, a charming smile on his face as he stopped just outside of arm's length. He noted that the cheerful girl was close to him in height, equal in her short heels, while her more buxom friend was a few inches shorter. "I'm fairly certain the party was in the other direction."

"I could ask you the same thing, your highness," the taller young woman responded coquettishly, eyes twinkling and the corner of her lips twisting upwards in a grin. "But since you asked first, I suppose I should answer. My friend and I aren't overly fond of these kinds of parties and we decided to slip away for a bit." The amusement on her face grew as she continued to speak. "Imagine our surprise when we overheard a few people saying that our new Viceroy had gone missing."

"He did?" The honest confusion on Lelouch's face caused a flash of surprise to appear on the young woman's face for a brief moment. Then the prince looked down at himself, then back up to the young woman. "I'm pretty sure I'm still here so I can't be missing. Maybe they were talking about someone else?"

The black-haired girl giggled in amusement, one hand raised to daintily cover her lips, while her companion just shut her eyes and sighed, probably in annoyance judging by the way her lips tightened even further. "Well, I certainly didn't expect our new Viceroy to be quite the jester. Perhaps his highness would allow us to join him for a moment? Your company seems much more interesting than the party itself."

"Only if you tell me what so funny," Lelouch replied with a straight face laced with some of the confusion from earlier. "I'm afraid I'm not one for jokes so I'm not really sure what I said that was so funny."

The brown-haired young woman's face seemed to twitch in annoyance, though it was so brief that he could have been seeing things, while her taller companion giggled once more. "Well," she said once her laughter subsided some, "I suppose that's a fair enough trade. More than fair if I'm being honest."

"If you say so," came the noncommittal response, followed shortly after by a shrug. "Anyway, I should-"

The abrupt stop made both girls curious, as did the thoughtful look on the prince's face. Then, the thoughtful expression turned cheerful as his eyes looked at something behind them. "Oh, it's Cornelia."

There was only one 'Cornelia' that anyone would ever connect to another member of royalty. And it was one that nobody would ever want to meet under less than ideal circumstance. Both young women spun around, the black-haired one wiping away all traces of amusement from her face while the brown-haired one erased the frown on hers.

"Oh, good evening your hi-" The taller girl's curtsy stopped abruptly halfway when she found herself face-to-face with the empty hallway past the doors, not a single trace of Princess Cornelia or, really, anyone who could have had the name 'Cornelia'. Not unless one counted the portrait of a nobleman next to his hunting dogs. "What…"

Both girls spun around and, not surprisingly, the prince they had been speaking with just seconds ago had disappeared. A soft but audible click reached their ears and they turned to the left where they found the second set of doors that led out to the balcony they were on. Unlike the one they were standing in front of, the second set of doors were shut, indicating that it was highly likely that the prince had entered the building through them.

Much like earlier, the black-haired girl giggled in amusement while her brown-haired companion frowned in annoyance. Both of them walked towards the guard rail, the latter shutting the doors before doing so. Both of them leaned against the guard rail, one facing outwards towards the settlement while the other faced the doors.

"So that's the Mad Prince," the brown-haired, green-eyed young woman commented with a tone that matched her frown, eyes darting from side to side as though searching for something. "Looks like he's just as the rumors said."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," replied the other, her blue-eyed gaze looking out into the city. "Don't forget that, prior to earning that moniker, Prince Lelouch was highly praised as one of the Emperor's most intelligent children. Even the Second Prince, Prince Schneizel, was said to have acknowledged his budding intelligence even while he was just a child. It's very much possible that every act performed to earn that absurd title was just that, an act that was performed."

The shorter but more buxom girl scoffed. "So what? Is it supposed to scare me that he's some kind of genius?"

"Not scare, but just to make you aware and cautious," came the response. "I highly doubt someone who was truly mad could turn a small province into one of the most famous in all Britannia in only a few years. And that's considering that the Emperor gave him control at a very young age. For his supposed madness, he has become quite a successful Provincial Lord."

"Fine, fine, I get it already. I'll be careful." The young woman let out a sigh as she turned to her companion. "So what now? Do we stick with the plan?"

"For now, yes, we proceed as planned." Agreed the slim young woman as she pushed away from the guard rail and made her way to the door with her companion. "Go get into position and wait for the signal. I'll contact the others and let them know that everything's still as expected, though I'll be keeping an eye on things just in case."

"Alright." The brunette opened the door and, after discreetly looking around for any witnesses, slipped back into the building while calling out one last warning. "Watch yourself."

"I should be telling you that," the taller brunette replied with an amused huff despite her companion having left already.

She waited a minute or so before copying her companion and re-entering the building, making her way down to the main hall where the party was being held. "Let's see how you like our little welcome, Mad Prince."

* * *

Cornelia wasn't one to indulge in many things, let alone wine and spirits. Many times over the years, however, she had been tempted to rely on the effects of alcohol in order to drown her frustrations the way she had seen many others do. Each and every one of those instances had one thing in common. And now, watching Lelouch going around the party hall and greeting the Area's most prominent nobles with Euphie and Gino in tow, she had to hold herself back from downing the wine in her hand in one go.

Every twitch of Gino's hand or eye, every barely repressed shiver that crossed Euphie's shoulders and spine, every raised eyebrow or expressions of curiosity and judgement on the faces of various nobles, and every laugh and smile that passed Lelouch's lips brought her closer and closer to falling into temptation. It was only the knowledge that indulging in drink would do nothing to solve any problems that may occur. In fact, staying sober and lucid of thought would be the only way to ensure that she was at peak condition if anything _did_ happen.

Her own eye twitched ever so slightly when she saw a noblewoman cringe after something Lelouch said. That had been the worst reaction yet and Lelouch had only spoken to about a dozen nobles out of over a hundred in attendance. Before she realized it, half the wine was gone. And, moments later when that same noblewoman turned green and hurried away, the remaining half followed.

Just then, someone behind her huffed, amusement coloring their tone as they spoke. "I never thought I'd see the day that the Demon of Conquest would resort to such measures to deal with stress."

The voice was somewhat familiar to her, and not because she had had too much to drink already. It was only that vague familiarity that kept her from lashing out at their casual tone. Turning around, she spotted a distinctly familiar face, although one that had aged at least a decade since they last met face-to-face. "Lord Ashford," she greeted with a nod of her head, the corner of her lip rising. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you tonight, even though Lelouch specifically asked for it."

Ruben Ashford, patriarch of the Ashford family, formerly Marquess Ashford. He was an aging man whose graying hair only had a handful of black strands remaining. Dark blue eyes were filled with amusement, reminding Cornelia of the man's granddaughter, and his face, slightly wrinkled in places, was much the same. Despite his age, he filled out the ocean blue suit he wore quite well. Were it not for certain events, he was a man who would not look out of place in a room full of the homeland's most prominent nobles.

"You think you're surprised?" the older man joked back. "I can barely even remember the last time I was around this many nobles and then suddenly I'm receiving over a dozen messages, calls, and even visits from bureaucrats and soldiers telling me that I _have_ to be here. And _then_ I have an armed escort show up at my doorstep to bring me here. If we were back in the homeland I would have suspected some plot of sorts to finally get rid of me and my family."

Cornelia chuckled, knowing just how true the elder man's words were. "True. Fortunately," she paused a bit as her eyes tracked back to Lelouch, the amusement on her expression fading ever so slightly. "Or unfortunately, your presence here was mainly on my brother's request."

Blue eyes followed her gaze and, much like her, some of his earlier joy faded as the sight. "That smile on his face and his hair certainly do resemble Marianne, don't they? I'd wager that he would look almost exactly like her had he been born female." Their mirth returned at that thought, along with a hint of melancholy at the memory of the woman they both once admired. Then, with a sigh, Ruben's smile faded entirely. "So it seems the rumors were true after all. Or is it…"

The princess shook her head at the unfinished question. "As much as I would wish it to be, this is no ruse on Lelouch's part. If it is, then it would mean that he is an unparalleled actor who has deceived all of Britannia, and that he has been putting up this façade since Lady Marianne's death at the latest." Cornelia felt the urge to shudder as a thought crossed her mind. "I fear what it would mean if he had been putting on such a convincing act _before_ that point."

"True enough," agreed the elder man. "Yet there is no point dwelling on such thoughts now. More importantly, I highly doubt that Marianne, of all people, would have failed to notice something out of the ordinary with regards to her own son."

"True enough," echoed Cornelia, a faint, fond smile on her lips as thoughts of the woman she admired came to the forefront of her mind, memories of a tall, black-haired woman doting on her two children. Then the smile faded as she watched another noble couple exchange brief pleasantries with Lelouch, leaving shortly after but walking noticeably quickly with stiff postures and tense smiles. "Though I do wish she were here. Or Nunnally."

Ruben's next words came with a huff laced slightly with amusement once more. "If Marianne were here then we both know how this would end."

Cornelia couldn't hold back the brief chuckle that left her mouth. She could already imagine the punishment awaiting Lelouch for even the mildest of his madness-induced antics. And, regardless of his age or station, nobody and nothing would be able to stop his mother from administering her chosen punishment.

Seeing yet another nobleman walking away from her brother, the princess's good mood evaporated into a sigh. "I suppose I had better make sure that Lelouch doesn't cause any more damage than he's already done," she said, turning to the elder Ashford with an apologetic glance. "It was a pleasure meeting you again, Lord Ashford."

"And you as well, your highness." Ruben's eyes were filled with far too much mirth for her liking. Though she couldn't deny that, had their positions been reversed, she might have felt some amusement as well. "If you ever n-"

Whatever the former Marquess had to say was cut off by a familiar sound that rang through her ears. Or, at least, it was familiar to _her_ ears. Alongside _that_ particular sound was the sound of shattering glass, more than one actually, that echoed throughout the party hall. A small portion of the nobles in the room shouted and even screamed in response at the unexpected sounds but most just whirled around to face the source of the commotion.

However, there was a small number of people in the room who reacted differently and Cornelia was one among those few. She, and the rest of those like her, reacted almost the instant the sound reached her ears. Clomping boots and cries to move followed even before the shattered glass finished tinkling along the ground. Confusion followed the commotion and Cornelia could almost feel the panic beginning to set in as she and several soldiers pushed through the crowd, everyone else but her doing their best not to shove anyone aside.

" **Good evening, nobles of Area Eleven!"**

Further shouts and sounds of confusion followed the sudden greeting from the distorted, disembodied voice that boomed out of the speakers scattered throughout the room at almost the same time that the glass shattered. Cornelia only paid it half a mind as she pushed aside a red-faced woman, heedless of her cries of outrage at being treated in such a way.

" **I must say, I was quite surprised to receive an invitation to tonight's gathering. One might think that it was the most obvious attempt to capture and eliminate me."**

There was no need to think about it for more than a second. She recognized the voice in an instant, having watched several times the recording of the broadcast that hijacked every channel and frequency after her brother's death not even two weeks ago. There was no mistaking that heavily modulated voice, a blend of male and female with constantly shifting pitches, nor the arrogant tone that accompanied it.

" **And yet, it would be quite rude to turn down the invitation, especially since, as I understand it, it was made in good faith and with quite a sincere intent to simply meet me."**

Cornelia pushed past the last of the nobles blocking her way, reaching her destination, the center of the ballroom, at almost the same time that the other soldiers did. Her blood, and her entire body, froze as her lavender purple eyes landed on their target, lips parting softly as a barely audible gasp slipped out. And yet, even as her body began to tremble, the menacing voice continued to speak in the background as the murmurs and voices of the nobles grew louder and more agitated.

" **Unfortunately, I have no desire nor any intention of 'playing nice', so to speak. You nobles who sit atop Britannian society, and even many a commoner, are nothing but a corrupt sort, a festering wound that refuses to heal and no longer curable by any means. The only choice that remains, is to completely eradicate all traces of the infection by any means necessary, and similarly eliminating any and all causes to prevent such a disease from returning. I have already eliminated one such cause barely a week ago. And tonight, I have done so once more."**

She was certain someone had realized what had just happened seeing as several people nearby screamed. Those few screams, predictably, began a chain reaction that Cornelia was certain had been the intention from the beginning. Distraught and enraged as she was, she could certainly admit that the masked man behind Clovis's assassination was extremely skilled at causing chaos, if nothing else.

While she would normally have liked to bring order to the masses of nobles before it turned into a riot, the situation was far from normal. Just as the sight before her was one she had never expected to see. Indeed, one she had hoped with all her being to never _have_ to see.

" **Cherish what little time you have left to bask in the glory and riches you have earned by spilling blood and tainting your souls. For before long, all that you possess, all your ill-begotten gains, shall once again be in the hands of those they truly belong to."**

She didn't know when it happened, or even how it happened, but, all of a sudden, Cornelia was on her knees, hands frantically shaking the body of the young man in front of her, even as she felt Guilford's own hands trying to pull her away. She could feel her throat straining even as she continued to yell. She could hear her Knight's voice speaking to her. But neither her words nor his properly reached her mind. At that moment, only one thing mattered.

" **Before I depart, allow me to properly greet our host, and the man whose grace and generosity granted me the pleasure of being present. Welcome to Area Eleven, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. And…"**

Lelouch vi Britannia, son of the late Marianne vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia, Lord of Bellegarden Province, Viceroy of Area Eleven, and, most importantly, her dear half-brother, was lying on the ground with a smile on his face and a blank expression in his eyes, blood pooling underneath him from the gaping hole in his chest.

"… **farewell."**

* * *

…

 **Lots of questions?**

 **Yeah, I have those too. Doesn't mean we always get an answer to them though. XD**

 **But… yeah. You're all just gonna have to wait for the next chapter before you find out what happens next. When will the next chapter be released?**

 **Hell if I know. Like I said in the previous chapter,** **Messiah's Legacy** **is my main story and the one I feel more motivated to work on. This story will still be updated but not as frequently. Blatant favoritism? Yeah, I know. Unfair (especially considering this story seems to be, overall, more popular than the other one)? Again, yeah.**

 **Sadly, I have grand plans for** **Messiah's Legacy** **. And, again, I'm way more motivated when I'm writing that story. It took me this long, starting from when I uploaded ML's most recent chapter, to come out with this chapter for** **Love and Madness.** **My work situation played a part in the delay, true, but it took far longer than it should have regardless.**

 **Still, I hope all you folks who are enjoying this story so far will stick with me until the end. And yes, I will finish this story (in time). It will take a long while, but I will. That much I can promise you, even if I can't promise consistent updates.**

 **I'm expecting some people, especially those who are well-versed in the possible medical conditions that Lelouch may or may not have leading to his current mental state, to have a lot of things to say. To all those people, I have this one thing to say. I am no medical expert in any way, nor do I have any personal experience with such conditions. My knowledge comes from the internet as well as consulting people who know better than I do.**

 **That said, please believe me when I say that I do know what I am doing and that I'm not making Lelouch insane/mentally ill just for the heck of it. There is a logical reason of everything, even if it isn't yet apparent or making sense.**

 **All I ask is a little patience until everything becomes clear.**

 **Thank you.**

 **With that said, I hope you're all enjoying the ride so far. Again, I don't know when the next chapter will come, though I will try to at least churn out a few hundred words now and then (in between and while working on my other story) so that I can get the next one out sooner.**

 **Please let me know what you think about everything. Whether positive or negative, I always appreciate hearing what people think about my stories.**

 **Thanks for reading everyone.**

 **Until next time.**


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